“The Great and Effectual Door”
Several weeks ago I was invited to be a guest on the Greg Davis Show. The host had given each guest speaker a key that represented something specific. While I was waiting to mount the platform, the Lord spoke to me very clearly and said to tell to His people that this coming year will be a season of the, “Great and effectual door.”
| “This new year will be a record-breaking season to seize the opportunity for Christ to change the world.“ |
I already had a message prepared to speak prophetically to the nations, but the Lord shifted the message, and suddenly a vision of a big door stood before me. On the other side of the door I saw enemies using the force of their bodies to keep the door shut and locked. The Lord told me that we were coming into a season of great opportunities which will trigger demonic opposition. He said, “The greater the opposition against My people, the greater the opportunity I will give unto them as a sign.”
Instantly, the Lord took me to the Scripture that says, “For a great and effectual door is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). I was reminded of the apostle Paul who stood before a great and effectual door; and in that moment I found myself standing before a great door of opportunity that God entrusted me with to share on this platform. The keys that were given to the guests started to make sense to me. I began to understand that with every door of opportunity God has to give us the keys of authority, access and influence.
Keys of Authority, Access and Influence
God said that we are coming into a season where “access has been granted,” because He has given us the keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:16-20). I love this passage of Scripture in Isaiah 22:22 (MEV) that declares, “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder. Then he shall open, and no one shall shut. And he shall shut, and no one shall open.” God said that He is going to give His people keys which will unlock unusual, unexpected, unprecedented and unhinged opportunities.
God will open doors that no man will be able to stop and shut doors that no man will be able to open and get the glory for. Paul had waited by praying for many years for that pagan-influenced city of Ephesus to open up wide for the Gospel to be preached. He finally started to get some breakthroughs and the spiritual climate of Ephesus began to change. God said that many of you have been praying, fasting and waiting on Him to fulfill your prophetic promise and destiny, but have been met with great resistance and warfare.
Paul counteracted demonic resistance with divine persistence in prayer. He started to see his prayers answered as the Gospel message began to conquer the city of Ephesus. First Corinthians 16:8 tells us that Paul was in Ephesus at the time he wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church. He wrote, “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.” Paul discerned the prophetic forecast of what God was doing. He knew the timing for a “rare” door had been opened to him; one that had never been opened before to anyone else in human history.
Notice what Paul wrote, “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me.” The words “unto me” come from the Greek word moi, which means “I, me, my, mine”. This was now a time where Paul was witnessing his dream coming true. (Photo via Unsplash)
God said that 2019 will be the year of personal and prophetic dreams becoming a reality.
Faithfulness in the Little Opens Mega Opportunities
During the three years that he resided and worked in Ephesus, Paul established one of the greatest churches in world history. The city started to see an awakening and revival sweeping through the city in such unusual ways that the church of Ephesus soon became the fastest, largest growing, influential church in the first century era.
Paul referred to this rare opportunity as “a great and effectual door.” The word “great” is the Greek word megas, which is where we get the word “mega.” It always speaks of something enormous or massive. The Greek word for door is the word thura. God is about to open rare, unique and unusual opportunities (doors) to those who have been found faithful over the little.
| “…He has given us the keys to the Kingdom…“ |
I love what Paul said that this door of opportunity “opened” unto him (the Greek word “anoigo” is the word “open”). However, understand that Paul doesn’t describe a door that was beginning to open, but rather a door that God had already opened wide. God said that what you are waiting on to open has already been opened, so get ready to walk through. He also said that 2019 is the year of the opportunity of a lifetime.
To Posses the Gate is to Posses the City
The apostle Paul had total access to the city of Ephesus. This tells me that God gave him a spiritual key of authority and influence. Paul had divine access to the gateway of the city of Ephesus. The gate became a symbol of strength, power, and dominion (Ps. 24:7), but it was also the weakest point of defense (2 Chronicles 14:7, 26:9; 32:5; Psalm 48:12) and therefore heavily defended.
Watchtowers were built above the corners of the gates as lookout stations—places where watchmen could see pending danger and call the city to attention. At night the gates were shut, barred and protected (Joshua 2:5, 7; Nehemiah 7:3); secured by locks with big keys. To possess the gate was to possess the city! The children of Israel, the seed of Abraham, were promised power and dominion over the cities of their enemies (Genesis 22:17; 24:60).
Paul called this opportunity not only a “great” door, but also an “effectual” door. The word “effectual” is the Greek word energes, from which we get the English word for energized. However, in the New Testament Greek, the word describes something that is active, powerful, effective and forceful. Paul declared that when this door opened to him and to the Gospel, it created a divine release of God’s power that immediately began to invade the city of Ephesus with God’s glory.
The Enemy Lies in Wait
Oftentimes when there is a great opportunity that God supernaturally opens, on the other side is great opposition. Paul said, “A great and effectual door is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). The word “adversaries” comes from the word “antikeimai,” a compound of two words: anti and keimai. The word “anti” means against, and the word “keimai” means to be laid, or to lie—just like the enemy is lying at the door, looking for an opportunity for the saints of God to sin.
“If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:17 NIV)
When these two words are compounded together, it paints a picture of hostile forces that are standing in opposition to an individual. These sniper-type forces are literally lying all around plotting against a common enemy, waiting for the opportunity to strike! These lurking, sinister powers lie in wait to kill, steal and destroy; to attack, or pry away another’s opportunity in order to steal it for themselves. (Photo via Unsplash)
Where There is Great Warfare, There is Great Opportunity
Remember that whenever you find yourself standing before a rare door of opportunity, people with impure motives, envy and jealousy will all of a sudden show up on the scene to see how they can steal the victory that you have work so hard to accomplish. Paul was very aware (as I have been on many occasions in my own ministry) that at the time he faced opposition by deceptive people. They would have loved to have removed him and stolen the place God had given him in Ephesus. I want to encourage you that the greater the warfare the greater the opportunity. This new year will be a record-breaking season to seize the opportunity for Christ to change the world. (To Subscribe to the Elijah List subscribe here.)
Hakeem Collins
Hakeem Collins Ministries
Email: click here
Website: hakeemcollinsministries.com
Dr. Hakeem Collins is a part of a new generation of world changers. Gifted with a unique dual apostolic and prophetic call, he is a sought-after conference, church and ministry speaker who has traveled extensively throughout the United States preaching the message of the Kingdom.