My guess is that St. Paul was not happy that he was “prevented from preaching the message in the province of Asia” and was not allowed “to go on into Bithynia.” He had plans. He had things to do. He, no doubt, felt frustrated that he wasn’t able to carry them out. It was only afterwards, upon reflection, when he saw the hand of God leading him into Europe that he realized that it was “the Holy Spirit” that prevented him, that it was “the Spirit of Jesus” that blocked his plans. At least that’s how it works with me. How important it is to bring our experiences into prayer, particularly experiences that go against the grain, and find that God is at work there.
