How to Notice the Opportunities God Is Putting in Front of You
We often ask God for opportunities while overlooking the people, conversations, and open doors already sitting directly in front of us.
Christians frequently pray for open doors: someone to help, someone to teach, some clear sign that God can use us. Then we move through the day so quickly that we miss the answer.
The opportunity may not look dramatic. It may be the person beside you, the question someone asks, the unexpected conversation, or the need you almost walked past.
Open doors require open eyes
The problem is not always that God has provided nothing to do. Sometimes the problem is that our attention is elsewhere.
Jesus told His disciples to lift up their eyes and see the fields. Spiritual opportunity requires spiritual attentiveness.
Pray for perception, not only opportunity
Paul prayed in Ephesians 1 for enlightened eyes of the heart. That is a useful prayer for ordinary life.
Ask God not only to give you chances to serve but to make you alert enough to recognize them.
People are not interruptions to the mission
When your schedule becomes the center of the day, unplanned people can feel like obstacles. But some of the most meaningful influence happens in moments you did not schedule.
You do not have to say yes to every interruption. But you should be careful not to become so efficient that you cannot see a person.
Act when the opportunity is clear
Awareness must eventually become action. Send the message. Ask the question. Sit down. Offer help. Speak about Christ when the door opens.
Providence is easier to recognize in retrospect when you have trained yourself to respond faithfully in the moment.
Sometimes the next thing God wants you to do is already standing beside you.
Take the idea with you.
- 01What person or opportunity have I been moving past too quickly?
- 02What would it look like to pray for open eyes tomorrow morning?
- 03Where do I need to become interruptible for the sake of people?
Listen to the original episode
This article was adapted from Episode 28 · Open Your Eyes. Continue with the podcast for the original teaching in Kris’s voice.
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