30-Day Personal Devotion Challenge Day 24

Good Morning Church Family – Day 24

Read Colossians 4:3-4

Devo Thought: At what point does an obstacle become an opportunity? Most of the time, we tend to see obstacles as impediments to our activities or opportunities. If we could just get the obstacle out of our way, then we could get on with the business of living. So, we pray that way. “God, please, make this situation change.” “God, please, deliver me from this circumstance.” I don’t think it is inappropriate for us to pray in this way, but I want us to consider another way. Look carefully for what the Apostle Paul asks the Colossians to pray about concerning his situation. He asks them to pray for an open door for the Gospel. Remember that He’s in prison. He doesn’t ask them to pray for his release from prison so that he can get on with sharing the Good News about Jesus. He doesn’t ask them to pray for his deliverance from the Roman government. He doesn’t see prison as an obstacle to his mission. He sees that prison as an opportunity. In that prison, there is an opportunity to bring God’s presence and peace. So, he asks for an open door, not to leave the prison but to love those around him. How would this approach to praying about your situation change your life? What are you seeing as obstacles in your life that you should be seeing as opportunities? Are you praying for God to work through your situation rather than asking God to deliver you from your circumstance? I don’t want to minimize anyone’s pain today. I know that many of you are going through incredibly difficult things in your life, and it may be that God will deliver you from those things. He may not. There is one thing I know for certain. God has promised that He will be with you through whatever you are going through. For God, there are no obstacles, only opportunities, so let’s pray in that way.

Prayer – Let us pray that we might see our obstacles as opportunities and see God work in the midst of our difficulties.