“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in
and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20
Jesus is always there, knocking on the door of our hearts. He waits patiently for us to hear his voice and ask Him in. He is ready to release love, mercy, forgiveness, guidance, and whatever else we desperately need.
Jesus is a gentleman. He will not barge in uninvited. He will not push down the door. He will not force his way into our hearts.
But when we finally choose to hear His voice and open the door to our lives, He kindly comes in.
We often hear, quote, and apply Revelation 3:20 to unbelievers who need to invite Jesus in for salvation. But it’s a powerful verse — and perhaps truer to context — when applied to those who know Christ and need to repent.
These are words of Jesus — His voice. If you have a “red-letter” version of the Bible, this passage in Revelation 3 is highlighted. Placed at the end of a series of letters to the seven churches, Revelation 3:20 specifically addresses the church at Laodicea, the worst of the seven.
As we continue our Praying for Prodigals series, this verse is a good one to pray over those we love who have wandered away or allowed their faith to grow cold.
Verse 16 describes the Laodiceans as lukewarm. Does that describe your prodigal?
Revelation 3:17 confirms they are not only lukewarm, they are lacking in self-awareness. Perhaps a lack of self-awareness leads to complacency in matters of faith.
The Laodiceans then — and many of our prodigals now — believed themselves to be rich in wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Prodigals can display a smugness, an attitude of certainty. They believe they have not only figured out the important questions of life, but have also mastered the answers.
The real issue, of course, is pride. When pride takes root, it leads to, among other things, self-deception and self-sufficiency.
While they see themselves as having everything they need, Jesus says:
“…you are wretched pitiful, poor, blind, and naked….” Revelation 3:17b
Our prodigals may be listening to many other voices. They are prioritizing other issues, objectives, causes, and concerns. They have so filled their hearts and minds with what they see as important, that they have crowded out who is most needed: Jesus.
Let’s pray today that they will realize their need for Him — that today their eyes would be opened to see themselves as “wretched pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” Let’s pray that this would be the day they hear His voice above the cacophony of all the others vying for their attention.
Like the prodigal son who finally “came to his senses” (Luke 15:17), let’s pray our prodigals wake up, look around at the mess they’re in, and go home. Like Jesus knocking at the door, the faithful father in the parable was there waiting to welcome the prodigal home.
Lord Jesus,
let today be the day our prodigals hear your voice
and open wide the door to You!
We were thrilled to have Jenifer Siemens, one of the members of our local women’s Bible study group, present this week’s teaching lecture! We invite you to listen and be blessed by this week’s devotional video as Jenifer unpacks a challenging passage from Galatians 3.
