Observe the words (about Lydia in Acts 16:14):
"Whose heart the Lord opened."
She did not open her own heart. Her prayers did not do it; Paul did not do it.
In order for us to receive the things that bring about our peace with God, the Lord Himself must open our hearts. He alone can put the key into the hold of the door, open it, and gain admittance for Himself. He is the heart's Master as He is the heart's Maker.
The first outward evidence of the opened heart was obedience. As soon as Lydia had believed in Jesus, she was baptized. It is a sweet sign of a humble and broken heart when a child of God is willing to obey a command that is not essential to his salvation, that he does not feel forced to comply with out of a selfish fear of condemnation, but that is a simple act of obedience and communion with his Master.
The next evidence was love, manifesting itself in acts of grateful kindness to the apostles. Love for the saints has always been a mark of the true convert. Those who do nothing for Christ or His church give but sorry evidence of an "opened" heart. Lord, give me an opened heart forever. - C.H. Spurgeon
