We plan our projects and lift it all in prayer, confident that we have God’s blessing. But in front of closed doors, we doubt or are confused. We forget that sometimes closed doors are a great blessing!

Convinced that God wanted us to hold our annual conference in 2020 despite the pandemic, I knocked on the doors of several churches. But, none agreed to receive us. I raised this rejection to God who then confirmed to me again that it was His will to hold this conference. So I rented a theater by faith. Six days before our annual conference, the government of Quebec again announced that churches could no longer accommodate more than 25 people. But the theaters had the right to continue to receive 250 people. Wow! God knew! If a church had opened the doors to us, we would have had to cancel our annual conference, not being able to accommodate our expected 200 singles! But because the doors were closed, we migrated to a place that remained available, and we were able to hold our annual conference and bring glory to God like never before.

This testimony reminds us that God can also respond by closing doors. If our plans fail, it’s not always the devil’s fault! If a door remains closed in front of us, it is not necessarily a failure. God’s answer, sometimes, is just “no”. If your dating ends before marriage, it may also be the hand of God that separates you, knowing that this relationship could destroy you. Jesus asked the Father to take away the cup He had to drink, but His Father did not (Matthew 26:39). Paul asked God to deliver him from one of his weaknesses, and God said no (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).

Let us take the time here to clarify that God never answers “no” to healing. He doesn’t want to see His children suffer. Nor does God want His children to be in such poverty that they cannot feed or clothe themselves. Our God is not cruel. We may be living in a time of scarcity, like Paul (Philippians 4:12), but He will not let His children starve (Psalms 34:10 KJV). We may feel some weaknesses, but God does not want His children to get cancer.

So how do we know if we should persist in front of a closed door, or if we should thank God for it? This requires listening to the Holy Spirit, which takes practice. It begins with a careful reading of the Word of God so that we can receive solid promises from it. As we recognize the presence of God in every detail of our life, we become more alert to what He truly desires. If we get to know His will in small things in our life, He will lead us into bigger plans for His glory and we can better discern His direction. “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”(Matthew 25:21 KJV).

In front of closed doors, it is first of all essential to talk about it with God. You can simply ask Him if He is the one who closes those doors or if it is the enemy who is setting traps. Sometimes it’s also our fault that things do not work out! God will answer you with His Word or with inexplicable peace. If God confirms to you that behind the closed door is the answer you’re looking for, then keep knocking and take authority. If God tells you that the door remains closed because of your fault, He will also tell you what to do to change. But don’t be disappointed if God doesn’t follow your plans! If God takes you in another direction, He knows what He is doing! Trust Him!