The second kind of door the Holy Spirit opens is the door of revelation. When that door opens, God’s people see things spiritually that they were blind to before. They understand truths that previously escaped their grasp.
That’s what happened to the apostle John in the book of Revelation. He was in the spirit praying when He saw “a door standing open in heaven” (Revelation 4:1). Through that open door, John was able to see what will happen in the last days. He was able to receive important revelations from God.
Years ago, brother Kenneth E. Hagin prophesied about a time to come when such doors will be opened to the Church in greater measure. He told us that when we enter those realms of revelation, believers will be strong and do exploits. That’s because revelation enables us to operate with greater authority and boldness. It empowers us with the wisdom and confidence we need to finish the work God has called us to do.
Think about what happened to Peter, for example, when he was praying on the rooftop in Acts chapter 10. God opened a door of revelation to him. He put Peter in a trance and, through a vision, taught him that God is no respecter of persons. He showed Peter that He could cleanse and sanctify a Gentile just as easily as He could cleanse and sanctify a Jew.
If the Holy Spirit hadn’t opened that door of revelation to Peter, he never would have been bold enough to go to Cornelius’ house to preach the Gospel. He would have been afraid to do it! But because God opened a door of revelation for him, he had the courage to walk right into that Gentile household “without hesitation or objection or misgivings…” (verse 29 Amp).
Clearly, Peter was called of God to preach the Gospel to those people. That was a part of his divine destiny. But the Holy Spirit had to open a door of revelation before he could do it.
The same is true for the rest of us. All of us need doors of revelation to open that will help us fulfill God’s call on our lives. We need to see things in the spirit we haven’t yet seen. We all need to understand things we haven’t yet grasped.
That’s why we must consistently pray for God to teach us what we don’t know and show us what we don’t see. For ourselves and for others, we must pray for God to open revelation doors.
Scripture Reading: Revelation 4:1–11
Source: Devotions for the Praying Heart by Lynne Hammond.
Excerpt permission granted by Lynne Hammond Ministries
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”