In His PresenceSample

Closed Doors

God’s will is one of the most frequently mentioned prayers, yet it is often the one we struggle with the most because it doesn’t always match our expectations. It’s easy to pray for a job, a house, or a person, but it’s much harder to ask God to help us discern His will, especially when it conflicts with our desires. This struggle often arises because our vision is limited by our past experiences and personal aspirations. However, the beauty of seeking God’s will lies in trusting His plan, even when it may look a bit different than our plan.

I genuinely enjoy soccer. I’ve played, watched, and, as you might expect, cheered for my team. However, it’s striking how our perspective as spectators differs from that of the players on the field. What seems like an obvious pass to us may go unnoticed by the player with the ball because we have a complete view of the game. This mirrors our lives: sometimes, we are so focused on what’s immediately in front of us that it becomes difficult to see the bigger picture and move forward.

Years ago, I decided to pray for closed doors in my life. There was a point in my life where I totally surrendered many areas of my life that seemed like the right play. Still, in the end, my perspective was limited by my position in life and, in many cases, by my frustration, pain, and desires. I said God, please close all doors that are not from you, and guess what? He did it; it was a season of surrendering and believing that the one who guided me knew better than me. I understood that the same God who wants us to prosper and be blessed is the same one who wants to keep us out of destructive paths.

In Matthew 16:19, Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven and says, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” I saw this verse as an invitation to pray not only for open doors but also for release, to unbind, and to pray for closed doors that are not beneficial to us.

We use keys daily to open and lock doors; locking doors provides protection wherever it is in or out, not risk losing it. Every time we lock, we establish that something of value needs to be protected, and in our case, our purpose, our future, requires safeguarding. In Proverbs 4:23, God instructs us to guard our heart over everything; guarding our heart may also sound like praying for God to close the doors that will create unnecessary shortcuts, closing doors of friendships that are not helping us to build the life God called us to live, or closing doors of plans that will only delay what God has in store for us.

Today, I invite you to pray for closed doors as you pray for open doors. Pray for God to give you the courage to say, God, I do not only want the good and abundant, but I also want the path that may be a bit uncomfortable, but it leads to my true freedom; I want you to close doors to places I should not walk into, close doors of opportunities that in my mind may sound perfect but are not part of your perfect plan.

Remember, God’s plan for your life is better than yours, and His ways are always higher.