Recently, I listened as someone offered a prayer for someone who was traveling. They prayed for smooth flights, easy connections and no interruptions. I’ve heard prayers before a church service asking that everything would go according to plan, smoothly and once again with no interruptions. On the surface, these seem like very normal, even noble prayer requests, but what if it is really better for us to pray that instead of our journey being on a smooth path, we ask for a road of opportunity. There is a lot to be said for a smooth path; it is easier and more predictable and it certainly causes less wear and tear on our bodies, minds and emotions whereas the road of opportunity is full of surprises and even peril. Suppose for a moment that Jesus’ disciples had prayed each morning for a smooth day without interruption. Many ministry opportunities presented themselves as interruptions to the expected itinerary or agenda. Recall the time the Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jericho and a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus called out to Jesus, shouting, *“Son of David, have pity on me!”* Even though others implored him to stop, he was persistent until Jesus called for him. (Mark 10:46-52) Perhaps this was not unexpected for Jesus, but for the crowd and His disciples, this seemed like an unwelcome interruption of their schedule. Things may not have gone the way some had hoped, but Jesus was on the road of opportunity instead of the convenience of the smooth path. If you look closely at the ministry of Jesus it might appear as though he was always on the road of opportunity instead of the smooth path. *Sometimes, even the interruptions were interrupted*. In Luke 8, Jesus had just crossed over the lake and the crowds were there to greet him when Jairus, a leader of the local synagogue, interrupted Jesus and pled with him to come and heal his daughter who was gravely ill. On the way, a woman, who had been hemorrhaging for years, summoned the courage and faith to get close enough to Jesus in order to touch the edge of his clothes. (Luke 8:40-56) If there had been a disciple in charge of keeping the appointment book or calendar, they must have been pulling their hair out because nothing ever seemed to go according to the plan. It is reasonable to have a plan and schedule for the days of our lives, but we should always be prepared for divine interruptions on the road of opportunity. *“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”* Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) The smooth path may be convenient and predictable, perhaps even desirable, but problems and interruptions on the road of opportunity are frequently where the miracles, the healings and the demonstration of God’s power are to be found. Andre Crouch put it this way in his song *“Through It All”* when he wrote *“I thank God for the mountains, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through. For if I’d never had a problem, I wouldn’t know God could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.”* We can be grateful for those stretches of smooth paths in our lives, but ultimately the opportunities to see God at work are to be found, not in spite of, but because of the problems, obstacles and interruptions that everyone will face sooner or later. We must learn to be sensitive and alert on the road of opportunity.