When the Door is Shut

Mark 11:23-24 - "I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours."

God is not intimidated by a closed door.

When Jesus walked the earth and received the power of the Holy Spirit, He walked and spoke with the authority the Father gave Him. The good news is that the same spirit lives in us. Even when we struggle with doubt, we have the authority to trust, walk by Faith, and declare God's promises back to Him. 

The Bible tells us that we have been given the authority to speak to the mountains of our lives and toss them into the sea by faith, trusting that if God said He would do it, He will. But we must declare it while believing and having faith, declaring what He promised as if we have already received it, even before it has even happened. 

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 13 years. There have been so many doors shut throughout our journey. In the past, we didn’t have the strength or the faith to believe it would happen. There was so much turmoil in our marriage. So many wounds that needed healing.

When Diego came back from camp, God gave him a vision of a daughter.

He came back a different man.

Not perfect, but definitely a man grounded in God’s Word, grounded in prayer, and grounded in faith. By this time, God had healed many parts of our marriage and many parts of our individual walks with the Lord.

Yesterday, after I woke up from surgery, the doctor said to him over the phone, “I’m sorry to say we couldn’t get the polyp out. Your wife’s cervix is closed shut. We can’t get in.”

Thirty minutes later, after waking up more from the anesthesia, those same words were repeated to me by my doctor. There was so much discouragement as those words washed over me. My faith started to waver.

I was in disbelief and in shock. At the same time, in the silence of my thoughts, I refused to believe that my doctor’s report was the final word. As I went home, it took me time to process what my doctor had told me and the next steps that were planned.

My husband, the man of God that he is today, responded differently than he would have in the past. Before, he would have dwelled on it. He would have brought up our past again. He would have brought more bad news into the conversation.

But to my surprise, instead he said to me, “Honey, we need to stand before God and pray. We need to remain faithful to Him and remind Him of the promise He made to us.

“We are not going to give in to fear or anxiety about what the future holds or believe that what our doctor said is the final word. Our God can move mountains, and He gave us the authority to speak to those mountains about who our God is and what only He can do!”

In that moment, God reminded me of some of the doors that were shut in the Bible.

Sarah’s womb was shut, and God opened it at 90 years old. Hannah’s womb was shut, and God heard her prayer in the temple. And in Acts 16:26, the prison doors were shut, but God shook the foundations and they opened.

My cervix being shut does not mean God is shut.

Man may not be able to enter, but God is not limited by a physical door. He is the God who formed me in my mother’s womb. He knows every inch and every detail.

The mountain Jesus talks about is not moved by us pushing harder. It’s moved by us speaking in His authority. Our job is not to force the door open. Our job is to trust the One who holds the keys to open it.

Trust does NOT mean you never cry, never question, or never feel tired. No, trust means you are no longer divided. You stop living between two opinions: believing “God is good and able” or believing “God has forgotten me.”

Trust is deciding, Even if I don’t understand, I will choose to settle my heart on this: God is good. God sees me. And God is working even when I can’t see how.

So today, whatever mountain you are facing, don’t just think about the mountain. Speak TO it.

Speak out loud today with boldness and authority. Let it know that it is already known by God.

Put your hand on your heart and declare:

“Fear, I speak to you. You are not my future.

[Name your mountain.] You are known by my God!

In Jesus’ name, I command you to be gone and be removed.

Lord, I don’t know how or when, but I thank You that You have already heard me. Thank You that You are already working for me and for my family.”

Questions to Reflect On

Here are some questions I encourage you to ponder and but stay patient to see God move your mountain: 

1. What is the hardest part of this mountain for you to surrender to God today?

2. What is one way God has shown you He has NOT forgotten you?

3. What will you thank Him for by faith today, even before you see it?

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Jacquelyn Alcantar

A daughter of God, a wife, a sister, a friend writing about finding God’s peace in the valleys. As this world passes away, I would like to uplift and encourage you on how to navigate this life along the side of our Heavenly Father to thrive in all that he calls you to do! Be the Miracle God called you to be!

Instagram: @jackymoh07

Facebook: DiegoandJackieAlcantar