Good Morning Friends,
There are many doors in our lives. Some are keystone events that become part of our core memory. Some help us to recall events of friends and family from long ago. But regardless of their importance we tend to take, at least most of our reminiscing for granted. Some give us admittance, others obstruction and still others protection to these experiences we celebrate as being part of who we are. How we view these doors is important for there will be days when we will feel like we cannot take another step on the journey and we will need entrance through a door we cannot open alone. We need to ask for help shrewdly like Queen Esther as an instruction in how to approach the throne. So, today we take an honest look at the door of prayer that brings us and the very places we pray closer to heaven. We consider prayers that open possibilities and those that close behaviors that damage others. We consider prayer as a door we sometimes walk through boldly and at other times humbly and blindly reach out in the hope it is opening. And in meditating on the Lord’s Prayer, we seek the one door we are told that Jesus opens so we might find peace. This is no knock, knock joke. Still, we want to know who there, behind the next gateway. And so, we reflect on the matter, its relation to heaven and earth and ask, What Thin Place Would We Like To Have Opened In The Presence Of The King In Prayer?
Scripture: Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.
Revelation 3:20 (NRSV)
I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:9 (NIV)
[The LORD] will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
Psalm 91:4 (NIV)
“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Luke 11:9-13 (NRSV)
“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
Matthew 7:7-12 (NRSV)
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, opposite the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne inside the palace opposite the entrance to the palace. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won his favour and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. Then Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre. The king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you, even to the half of my kingdom.’ Then Esther said, ‘If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to a banquet that I have prepared for the king.’ Then the king said, ‘Bring Haman quickly, so that we may do as Esther desires.’ So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared. While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.’ Then Esther said, ‘This is my petition and request: If I have won the king’s favour, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfil my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet that I will prepare for them, and then I will do as the king has said.’Haman went out that day happy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and observed that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was infuriated with Mordecai; nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Then he sent and called for his friends and his wife Zeresh, and Haman recounted to them the splendour of his riches, the number of his sons, all the promotions with which the king had honoured him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and the ministers of the king. Haman added, ‘Even Queen Esther let no one but myself come with the king to the banquet that she prepared. Tomorrow also I am invited by her, together with the king. Yet all this does me no good so long as I see the Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.’ Then his wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go with the king to the banquet in good spirits.’ This advice pleased Haman, and he had the gallows made.
Esther 5:1-14 (NRSV)
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul. All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Psalm 138: 1-6 (NRSV)
Message: Now today’s question can be read to reflect on places, but do not limit your thinking here to just a physical place but also to times and the spiritual way our brain remembers something that is more spiritual than physical…something experienced that does not use our five senses alone. Here we peer into our very soul’s reflection on regret or a contemplation on the hope of our belief, and actions glorifying and engaging God in a relationship that produces results. For honestly, we must face the reality that there is a wearing away of the door frame in the household of each of us. Here we need to remember the words in the Mezuzah on our door posts. And as we remember that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, perhaps we also need to ask God to engineer our gateway to life so that our coming in and going out is not impeded by what is old, getting in the way of what is new. We can try to forestall decay and rust, but it hinges on the inevitable. We ask God to open new doors for us, but I wonder if we miss the point. The problem is that most to not pray as if they believe that Jesus is the door for our lives. We want Him to enter our door and stop there instead of us entering His. As the handles and knobs on our doors get worn out, we just seek to replace them even in our worship. But if we are lucky enough to avoid the destruction of the Temple of God in our hearts, the paint still peals, and death ultimately knocks at the door. Our body, family, community, and even our legacy all wears away. But there is another door. Here we stop fighting the divine control built into the fabric of the universe and discover that the key to protection from the decay of this life is to get a transformed life. We must choose a new door, for the door of the world only leads to destruction. Friends, when we are weary, we are to enter God’s rest. When our days of service have come to an end, we are to enter in and let God show us the door of new life. Know that Jesus is the door. And know that there are two sides to every door and with God’s grace we will find Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit on both sides. The door of the sheepgate of prayer only has Jesus. There are no locks, no barriers, just Jesus.
And So, spend time with Jesus when he knocks at your door of experience, but also be bold enough to go to Jesus and ask for help. Be patient. Spend time with God so that the relationship can help us help others to see the Jesus in them. Drink the strength and glory of relationships as part of the Body of Christ and God will open the door of prayer. You see, life hinges on whether we want Jesus to open the door to our hearts. This door opens on our willingness to respond when Jesus knocks at our door in the hope of a little of heaven coming to earth. The thing is that we must understand how the door of prayer works. Friends, there are doors of the heart we can open ourselves and some we cannot without help. The key is to allow Jesus to gain entrance into our prayer life. So, today’s question is really about Jesus and the most important most important prayer we will ever open. Friends, if Jesus chooses to knock on the door of your prayer life, open the call with your heart. Know that some prayers we choose, and others have been chosen for us. But also know that like the opportunities of life some are open and some closed. Open the ones that leads to love and life. And So, we like Esther go to the King in prayer without being summoned. We too must go boldly, being willing to risk it all. Taking small steps of faith but also in robes of righteousness we need to trust, and like Jesus on the third day and Jonah on the third day and Esther on the third day find power and salvation in the third day all because of the love of Jesus on the cross. Only one can ascend to the throne of your heart.
Pray as we go about the work that God has given us to let our experience open doors that glorify God. Pray we seek and ask and remember. Pray in response Jesus opens the door to our hearts. Pray we remember what is important. Pray Jesus remember us. Pray when the time is right, we enter His rest but also His work. Pray we not so much retire as become inspired. Pray we be an encouragement for other seekers. Pray we enter and never shut the open doors of opportunity, unity, and service. Pray that our duties faithfully preformed lead to greater opportunities. Pray we be more than a willing vessel of temporary service. Pray we abide with Christ forever understanding that He stands at the door. Pray we accept every divine overture. Pray we open the door of our lives to Christ. Pray we pass through that door of service in community. Pray we come to the door of heaven and Christ recognizes and ushers us into His home…our home. Pray here we realize that Jesus is our Sabbath rest. Pray that on the appointed day we turn to the shelter of God’s loving arms and find rest that is timeless. Pray that when we come to the door of life, we greet Jesus on the throne and know love divine. Pray we do not limit our communication with God to a single place even though some places might lend themselves to us to sense the divine more readily.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 