Does An Open Door Reveal God’s Will?

All of us find ourselves at intersections and places of decision time and time again in life.

When we do, the question we are faced with is, “How do we know which way we should go?” More specifically, assuming that God has a specific and not just general will for our lives, “How do we know which way God wills for us to go?”

Many times, if you ask this question, you’ll be counseled to do the following: “Just pray for an open door…and whatever door opens, that is the will of God.”

But is that what we see in the Scripture? Does an open door always mean that something is God’s will?

Before we answer that, it’s worth saying that there are multiple references to open doors in Scripture.

Praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Col. 4:3)

When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Acts 14:27)

If we read that in isolation, we may be tempted to think it’s case-closed, that an open door always means that something is God’s will.

However, a more full reading of Scripture gives us a more full understanding.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are wrongfully imprisoned.

There, in their chains, they prayed and praised into the night, and as they did, God moved.

“But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Acts 16:25-26)

Did you catch what happened?
All the doors were opened.

If there was ever a case that we would assume that an open door reveals God’s will, this would be it.

After all, the doors open on account of God’s activity.

Yet, did Paul and Silas interpret or assume that the open door meant they should walk through it? Did they equate an open door to God’s will?

“When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” ”

— (New American Standard Bible, 1995, Acts 16:27-28)

And what was the outcome of them discerning and obeying rather than just assuming? The jailer and his entire household were saved!

Does an open door reveal God’s will definitively?
No, it doesn’t!

In fact, God opened the doors precisely so their choice NOT to go through them would be a testimony!

Think about this. Anybody can and does go through whatever door is open in front of them. The real testimony is when someone goes through a closed door!

An uncrossable Red Sea is the kind of door God likes to tell us to go through. Or, a raging Jordan River in flood stage. Or, a wall thick enough to pave a two lane street at the top. We could go on and on.

God’s specialty is opening closed doors precisely when His people walk by faith toward what is impossible by sight.

In our own experiences, the worst possible determiner of God’s will is circumstance.

Can God speak through circumstance? Yes.

But never ever allow the “open door” at a critical moment of decision to be your “sign” apart from hearing clearly in prayer that it's from God.

To be honest, when you’re in the moment of decision the enemy will bombard you with decisions and opportunities to try to distract you from the very thing God has. Don’t take the bait.

Go, pray, and wait for that peace from the Lord. And if God calls you to go through a closed door, then buckle up for the adventure of biblical faith. You’ve got great things ahead of you!

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