In ancient times, whenever someone would come to a gate or a door they would NOT knock with their hand, they would knock with their voice. Their voice was the knock on the door. So when Peter had a miraculous release from prison and went to the house, the servant girl Rhoda heard Peter‘s voice at the gate that’s how she knew it was him standing outside. (Acts 12)

When Jesus, in Revelation 3 says, “behold I stand at the door and knock…“, He’s not using his hand as the pictures portray, he’s using his voice to let the heart know who’s at the door.

Therefore as I’m praying Psalm 24 this morning the psalm explodes with revelation as I read with understanding verses seven and eight that say, “lift up your heads, oh gates, and be lifted up, oh ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in.” Once the voice at the gate is heard another voice responds, “who is the king of glory?” And the answer comes back from the voice outside the gate, outside the door, “the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.” The whole thing is a voice exchange with a gate and a door between them.

Our voice is powerful, because the voice of God is powerful, therefore when you come up against a shut door lift up your voice, when you come up against an ancient gate lift up your voice. When you want a city to be open to you go to the gate of the city and use your voice to announce your arrival. Your voice is what gives you access, your voice is where your authority lays. This is why Psalm 24 says he who has clean hands and a pure heart and has not lifted up his soul to falsehood. Purity and integrity activate your voices authority.