“Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. Don’t be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do…opportunity.” – Ephesians 6:16-20

The word ‘opportunity’ traces its roots back to a Latin phrase signifying a favorable wind guiding ships into the harbor. Picture an opportunity as a benevolent wind blowing in your direction.

But how do we identify these favorable moments in life? From my experience, I can assert that they won’t naturally present themselves; rather, we must intentionally carve out the time graciously given to us from dawn to dusk. To ‘carve out’ time is to allocate or fit something into a busy schedule, akin to carving meat or stone—cutting through the clutter.

It won’t happen otherwise.

Some of these so-called ‘dead’ times may include waiting for the village bus, enduring delays in government or doctor’s offices, or even awaiting test results. During these moments, we need to consciously ‘carve out the time’ to make the most of this valuable time through prayer and self-reflection.

It’s easy to utter the phrase “I don’t have time,” a common refrain, considering we all have the same 24 hours in a day. However, merely acknowledging that we have time won’t help unless we actively ‘make’ time to utilize it effectively. We must brace ourselves for this ongoing battle.

As time passes, we can creatively allocate each finger to different prayer points:

1. Personal Events: Focused on our immediate needs and desires.
2. Local Community: Considering the welfare of those around us.
3. City/State/Country: Recognizing the impact of our surroundings.
4. Future: Praying for the immediate hours, days, and even the entirety of our lives.
5. Hard-Pressed Situations: Lifting up the burdens weighing on us.

In the pages of scripture, we find rare, unadulterated truth. As the Bible encourages, we must tie these truths to our hands and foreheads, making them constant reminders. The idea is not merely symbolic; it requires disciplined training.

“Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. But it needs training” – Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (MSG)

“Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. … These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts” – Deuteronomy 6:8

In our pursuit of making good use of every opportunity, let us embrace the discipline of training our minds and hearts through intentional prayer, knowing that in doing so, we align ourselves with the unchanging truths found in the Word of God.

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