We all know that prayer warrior, Kenneth Copeland, prophesied that 2007 was the year of the "open door". The Holy Spirit promised that in 2007 He would open doors for us that, up until that time, had remained closed to us no matter how earnestly we tried to access them. Well, it's been a full year now and many of us are left wondering why some of our doors are still closed. Actually, the truth is ... they're not closed at all.

When God said that He had opened those doors, He meant that He had unlocked them. But it's still up to us to turn the handle.

Exodus 13:21 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea ...
Joshua 3:15 As soon as the priests reached the Jorden and their feet touch the water's edge ...
2 Kings 2:8 Elisha struck the water with his cloak and divided it to the left and to the right ...

In all three cases above, we see that an action (faith) had to be taken in order to open those closed doors. This same kind of action will be required of you in order to open your closed doors as well. If God would simply open those doors for you, then the enemy standing in front of those doors would be able to walk through them with you if not before you. He can't open your door even though it's unlocked because it's not his door to open. It's your door. He can follow you if you let him, but he can't open it. That door belongs to you and you alone.

Imagine what would have happend if Moses would not have taken action in order to open his closed door. Likewise, imagine what would have happened to Elisha or the priests if they had not taken action to open their doors either. Our doors will not open for us simply because we stand in front of them waiting. They open for us when we take action.

In my own life in the past, I was anything but a water walker. If my door wasn't swinging wide open from the hinges by the time I got to it, I would immediately assume a number of negative ideas. I failed somewhere. It wasn't God's timing. I must have missed something along the way. I shudder to think now how many missed opportunities passed me by simply because I failed to reach out and turn the handle on that closed door. And, of course, confused and agitated, I would become angry with God which in turn hurt my faith, which in turn stunted my spiritual growth at every angle for a very long time.

I think it's safe to say that is a popular scenario for many Christians. We know what we're called to do and we pray for direction and guidance in which to do it. Then we come to a closed door and instead of simply opening the door and walking through it, we stand there trying to figure out why its closed in the first place.

Incidently, a "door" is an indication that you are about to step up to a new level. And wherever there's a new level there's a new devil to go along with it. And you should be prepared because your new level will always cost you something whether it's more money than you think you can afford, more time than you think you have to give, more effort than you feel you can put forth. Whatever the situation, it's going to cost you something. It has to. That cost is the only way you will become serious enough to hold out until the end without giving up despite the sometimes overwhelming temptations to do so.

So the next time you find a closed door staring you in the face, don't stand there in a pool of negative indecision. Reach out and turn the handle.

Tee Michaels
January, 2008