A Prayer to Praise God When He Opens a Door He Once Shut - Your Daily Prayer - May 23 

A Prayer to Praise God When He Opens a Door He Once Shut
By Chelsey DeMatteis

Bible Reading:
“After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said…” - Matthew 2:13

Listen or Read Below:

Six years ago, in July 2019, I attended a Christian writers and speakers conference. It was not only a redemptive experience for my heart, but it was only the beginning of one of the greatest God stories of my life. It all began as I walked into the conference center in a sea of women; God blessed me by showing me familiar faces of women I'd gotten to know a few months prior. It already felt like a gift.

As the week went on, we had opportunities to share book ideas with publishers, acquisitions editors, and book agents. Some of you may know this drill if you've attended a conference like this. It's not an easy task to sit across from people you know will likely tell you "no" to publishing or representing your project, but it was an area where I felt God growing my faith and confidence in him.

I was as prepared as possible when I went to my first appointment. With confidence and faith, I shared the idea God had been stirring in my heart. I was met with kindness and assurance, but it was a no to representing my project for various reasons. Lack of experience was the main piece of constructive criticism. I left the meeting not feeling defeated by what seemed to be a closed door, but with an excellent critique that fueled even more passion behind this gift God had given me.

I left the conference that weekend with no agent or publishing offer, but I was now traveling home with direction and clarity. The rest of the story God was about to write over 6 years ago leaves me speechless as it's still unfolding as I write these words. In November 2021, my first book, More of Him, Less of Me, was traditionally published. It was not with the publishing house of the woman I met with, but it was an absolute dream come true to have someone believe in the message God had given me.

In the summer of 2023, the Lord lit a fire within me for my next book; it poured out of my heart like a firehose. The process of book writing began again. In the fall of 2024, I signed with an incredible agent who saw the need for this message, and she started pitching it to publishers as the year ended. In January, she sent me a message that she felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to send it to a particular publisher; I told her if she thought that leading that, I was entirely on board. So, she pitched it. All the while, I had no idea who exactly she was pitching it to.

Less than a week later, she sent me a message saying a woman from that publishing house wanted to meet with me. My jaw about hit the floor. It was the same woman I sat across the table from in July 2019. I could hardly believe it. We scheduled a meeting for later that week. Three weeks later, I got the call that I had received an offer from her publishing house for this next book.

What felt like a closed door six years ago was only the beginning of this incredible God story. It's easy for us to think a door closed means it's closed forever. We seem to do this to protect ourselves. But what if we trusted that doors being closed today doesn't mean He will keep them closed forever?

While my story pales compared to the scripture I'm about to share, it proves God's faithfulness in writing the best stories that give Him all the glory. Matthew 2:13-15 recounts Mary and Joseph returning to Egypt to protect Jesus. The most incredible part of this story is that God took Jesus, the Savior of the world, back to the place where He once rescued His people out of captivity. Isn't it amazing to see how God redeems everything in His time?

After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said. "Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." That night, Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, and they stayed there until Herod's death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: "I called my Son out of Egypt." Matthew 2:13-15

When it feels as if God has closed a door to something He stirred in your heart, trust what He is doing. Thank Him for the provision of closing the door, but know that He may open it again in His perfect timing. Allow the closing of the door to strengthen your faith, not discourage it.

Let's Pray:

Father, thank you for reopening doors! I pray to have faith that trusts you when doors are closed and that I will see it as provision. But when you reopen the doors, give me the boldness to share the testimony. Great is your faithfulness! In Jesus' name, amen.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Grafner

Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.

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