All we have to do is read the book of Acts to see how vital geographical doors can be. As I’ve already mentioned, it tells us that Asia was once so closed to the Gospel that the Holy Spirit actually forbade Paul to go there.
Later in Paul’s ministry, however, the situation changed. When it did, Paul went to the Asian city of Ephesus—a place famous for worshipping the goddess Diana—and, lo and behold, he found a small group of disciples there! Of course, they didn’t know very much because they didn’t have anyone to teach them. They’d only received the baptism of John and they hadn’t even heard of the Holy Spirit.
After Paul baptized them in the name of Jesus and laid hands on them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he proceeded to reach the entire region with the Gospel, “…reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:9–10).
Now that’s what I call evangelistic success!
What was the secret behind it?
Paul told us himself in 1 Corinthians 16:8–9 where he wrote: “I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me…”
My, what amazing things can happen in a region when the Holy Spirit opens a door! Not only can the Gospel be freely preached, signs and wonders will accompany it. That’s what happened in Ephesus.
Acts chapter 19 tells us that the most spectacular miracles of Paul’s ministry took place in that city. There, in a place once totally dominated by demon spirits, the Holy Spirit opened such a wide door of divine power that “God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them” (verses 11–12).
When the door to their city was opened by prayer, multiplied thousands of people were saved from idolatry to become “the saints…in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Scripture Reading: Acts 19:1–20
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!”