In the early 1950s, two young missionaries, Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, along with several others, felt a call to reach the unreached Auca (now called Huaorani) tribe in the jungles of Ecuador. It was a people group known for its isolation and hostility toward outsiders. Many warned them that entering their territory was essentially a death sentence. But Jim and his friends prayed fervently for an open door; for God to make a way where none seemed possible.

They began dropping gifts from a plane, leaving tools, food, and friendly gestures. After months, they made contact face-to-face. At first, things seemed hopeful. But one tragic day, all five men were speared and killed by the very people they longed to reach. To the world, it looked like the door had been slammed shut forever. But here’s where the power of prayer and perseverance shines. Elisabeth Elliot, along with Rachel Saint (the sister of one of the slain men), felt God calling them back to the same people who had killed the first missionary group. 

Against all odds, these women, with the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit lived among the Huaorani. They learned the language, cared for the people, and most importantly, shared the gospel of Jesus Christ. Slowly, the walls of hostility crumbled, and entire families turned to Christ. One of the very men who had speared Jim Elliot later became a preacher of the gospel, telling his own people about the love and forgiveness of Jesus.

This incredible story reminds us that what looks like a closed door may simply be the beginning of God working in ways we could never imagine. Jim Elliot once wrote in his journal: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” His prayer for an open door was answered — not through his own life, but through the legacy of faith, courage, and obedience that followed.

Paul’s request to the Colossians is striking. He doesn’t ask them to pray for his release from prison, for protection from enemies, or for easier conditions. Instead, he asks them to pray for open doors to proclaim Christ. This shows us something vital: the greatest concern of a Christ-centered life is not personal comfort but gospel opportunity.

Open doors are not about convenience but about God’s timing and Spirit-led moments. An open door could be a conversation with a neighbor, an unexpected question from a coworker, or a crisis in someone’s life that makes them receptive to truth. But here’s the key — we don’t manufacture those doors. God opens them, and prayer tunes our hearts to notice and step into them with boldness.

Sometimes open doors don’t look the way we expect. For Paul, an “open door” often meant opposition, persecution, or suffering — yet through it all, Christ was preached. For Jim Elliot and his friends, the “open door” came after their deaths, through the courageous obedience of their families. For us, it may be through setbacks, difficulties, or even rejection. But if we believe God answers prayer, then we can trust that no door is permanently closed to the gospel when He is at work.

Praying for open doors requires two commitments:

1. To pray expectantly. Every day, you can ask, “Lord, give me one open door today.” That prayer changes how you see your workplace, your neighborhood, and even your family. Suddenly, normal conversations become opportunities.

2. To act obediently. Open doors are meaningless if we never walk through them. That means when someone opens up about their struggles, you step in with compassion. When a coworker asks about your weekend, you’re unashamed to mention church. When the Spirit nudges you to encourage a stranger, you obey.

Maybe there’s someone in your life who seems impossible to reach, a hard-hearted family member, a resistant coworker, a skeptical friend. Don’t stop praying! If God could turn Saul the persecutor into Paul the preacher, or a spear-wielding Huaorani man into a preacher of forgiveness and love, then no heart is beyond His reach. Choose one person in your life who seems far from God. Write their name down. Commit to praying for them every day this week, asking God to open a door for a gospel conversation.Then, pray for your own courage to step through when He answers.