(Acts 16:25-26 KJV) And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
I started the year by asking “what type of person will you be in 2026?” I challenged us to be a people of character. In 2026, the development of Godly character will not be for nought. As we develop:
We will see with our eye’s the wonderful and miraculous works of the Lord.
The example of Paul and Silas here, reveals the intervening hand of the Lord with supernatural outcomes manifesting for them which mirror Godly character. In verse 26 of this story, we discover four supernatural outcomes that will manifest in the year ’26:
✔️God will move suddenly
✔️Foundations will be shaken
✔️Opened doors will appear without hesitation
✔️Bondages will be loosed
1️⃣We saw how God moves Suddenly and will make us a new creation as the new has come. 2️⃣We saw spiritual power manifest as God begins to shake things. 3️⃣But this is also going to be a year of Opened Doors!
The Spirit of Distraction
First thing about Opened doors, is that you have to be looking for them. If you are looking in the opposite direction, you will not see the open door and then fail to walk through it. 🚨This is the one of the greatest tools in the enemies toolbox, DISTRACTION. If he can get you distracted from seeing the opened doors, he will prevent you from walking through them.
The Spirit of Distraction is defeated with wisdom and determination. The book of proverbs speaks of a person of wisdom as one who will:
(Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT) Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
Wisdom understands the value of staying on the path of righteousness. A person of wisdom, who applies wisdom, knows that the path of Godliness leads to greater tomorrow’s, safety from the devils snares and traps, and from getting off course in one’s faith walk. For a person of wisdom, Nothing else matters! They seek 👀first the kingdom of God for His righteousness as nothing else can compare, so why bother wasting time with anything less than Gods better.
This is why Apostle Paul said to the church:
(Philippians 3:13-14 KJV) …but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul was so determined in his mission, he was saying not even all the good things I have already accomplished in my past are going to slow me down and distract from my purpose. I am PRESSING FORWARD…not slowly ascending, or taking my time, or getting there when I’m good and ready…he was PRESSING, PUSHING, PROCEEDING, PLODDING, PLOWING, PERSISTING, PERSEVERING, FORCING, MOVING, DRIVING, ADVANCING, GRINDING, GOING, FORGINGforward. This is not the language of a man who is distracted with trivial pursuits. Wisdom and determination assured him the prize of his purpose; and this provided him many open doors in ministry.
Recognizing the Right Doors
When we are looking for opened doors, we have to ensure that it is the right door before we walk thru.
🚪A right door is prayed over, not ran thru
🚪A right door validates faith, not doubt
🚪A right door inspires trust, not trepidation
🚪A right door stirs Righteousness, not hinder it
🚪A right door presents greater opportunities, not less
What we need to properly know the right doors is a Spirit of Discernment.
The Spirit of Discernment
Discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit. All the gifts of the Spirit are available to God’s children (see 1 Cor. 12:7). The Apostle Paul prayed for the church to have greater spiritual discernment:
(Colossians 1:9-10 NKJV) For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Proper discernment of Gods will for the right open doors will lead to a:
- greater walk with God,
- greater fruit of the Holy Spirit evidenced in your life,
- and a greater knowing of God better and better each day.
Stepping Through
To go Thru Gods opened doors requires taking a Step of Faith. You will never cross the threshold of what God has in store for you without activating your faith. We are scripturally called to walk by faith and not by sight…so, take a step forward, even if you cannot see or know what’s on the other side of the door.
To take a step of faith one must:
- Have faith in God:
(Romans 8:31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
- Be led by the Spirit:
(Romans 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:25 NLT) Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
- Walk in your Calling:
(Romans 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
The Spirit of Decision
Indecisiveness will hold you back from moving forward with Christ. Two things will break indecisiveness in your mindset: Boldness & Confidence.
(Hebrews 10:19) Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Knowing you have the blood of Jesus on your life ought to give one boldness to step through any open doors God lays before you. By the blood of Christ we can overcome, we are cleansed, we are sanctified, we are redeemed and drawn nigh unto God. The 🩸blood of Jesus holds back the angel of death, the 🩸blood of Jesus heals sickness and disease, the 🩸blood of Jesus delivers from the powers of darkness, the 🩸blood of Jesus reconciles all created things bringing peace to all things. So what have you to fear, step through His open doors through the blood of the Lamb.
(Hebrews 10:35) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
King David was called a man after Gods own heart. One character trait that for sure separated David from others was his confidence in God. When a big giant named Goliath was standing in the valley hurling insults and slander, and all the army and warriors trembled in fear and cowardice; David stepped forward confident the Lord was with him. Time and time again, David stepped forward confidently even in impossible situations, winning victories and witnessing the hand of Gods goodness and grace. The writer of Hebrews says to cast not away your confidence in Christ Jesus; for it is your confidence that God is MIGHTIERthan any situation or circumstance, it is your confidence that God is MORE THAN able to answer and do exceeding and abundant things, it is your confidence that God is MIRACULOUS in all that He does and gives.
🛑 When you are confident that God is a good God and that God only has good things in store for you, you will step thru His open doors trusting that in whatever lies ahead, God already has a reward lined up for you 🛑
Altar call
Paul and Silas opened door moment came as the physical doors of the prison opened; YET THEY STAYED WHERE THEY WERE. First instinct would be to run thru that door, whether that would be the right thing to do or not; but they stayed.
Look at what happened following this open door moment.
(Acts 16:27-31) And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
👉[v.27] It was seeing the open doors that caused the enemy/oppressor to tremble. Your enemy is more afraid of Gods opened doors for you than he is of your strength, knowledge, abilities, etc.
👉[v.30] It was the oppressor that brought Paul and Silas out of the innermost prison cell. Gods greatest opened door is when he causes the enemy to bring you to your place of victory!
👉[v.31] in the chaos of a sudden earthquake, shaking foundations, people running in fear, uncertainty over what has just happened filling the atmosphere; Paul and Silas decided this moment to be one to PREACH the Gospel. Opened doors are Gods opportunity’s to be what He called you to be: A WITNESS! (See Acts 1:8)
There was only one door that Paul specifically asked for God to open: a door of utterance:
(Colossians 4:3-5) Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Paul’s desire was for the church to be rich and refined in our utterance in order to proclaim the Gospel of Christ with power and authority.
1 Corinthians 1:5 (NKJV) that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,
‼️God is opening up doors for you to be a witness for him in 2026 and preach of the goodness of God. The miracles he performed were open doors of utterance
Grand Haven Pentecostals 