These verses are normally referred to as ‘Paul’s conversion’. They are headed that way in many Bibles. But we need to be careful. Paul is not converted from something to something else. As he meets the risen Lord Jesus, he comes to realise that Jesus is the true fulfilment of all that he had believed up to this point, that all God’s plans, all the promises of the Old Testament and his Jewish convictions, are completed in Jesus. 

His blinding and the subsequent restoration of his sight sum it up. He now sees things in a new way; the light has dawned. He can now see the truth. It involves a dramatic change. We meet Jesus in different ways but there will always be change. For some there may be a definite moment when the light dawns; for others it may be a series of small steps. There may be a real sense of turning from one set of beliefs to the truth we find in Jesus. The key thing is that we meet the risen Jesus. We will experience life in a new way. We will learn to live differently. We have a new Master and a new purpose. We are no longer the people we were

Thank you, Lord, for the example of those who teach us how to pray.

This account of the experience of Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus Road must be one of the best known incidents in the Bible. We have been introduced to the ‘young man’ named Saul who was present at the stoning of Stephen, joining the mob and playing an active role in the persecution of the people of the Way.¹ However, we should not overlook the crucial role played by one of the lesser known characters in Luke’s narrative: ‘a disciple named Ananias’ (v 10). He might seem an incidental actor in the drama, someone with a walk-on part, who vanishes back into obscurity once his few lines have been uttered.

What a mistake that would be! Notice, first, the deep spirituality of this devoted follower of Jesus, whose response to the call from God was immediate and submissive: ‘Yes, Lord’ (v 10). This is the reaction of a man who is in habitual conversation with God and is neither surprised nor unwilling to receive direction from heaven. Prayer has been described as the Christian’s ‘vital breath’ and ‘native air’;² Ananias’ prayer is a perfect example of that.

Second, notice that his spirituality does not prevent him from asking God questions: ‘Lord, ... I have heard many reports about this man’ (v 13). His prayers involve genuine conversation. The intimacy of fellowship with Christ means that doubts do not have to be suppressed but can be honestly voiced before the Lord. Finally, having received reassurance, this beautiful man seeks out the fanatical enemy of the followers of Jesus and utters two words which were crucial in Saul’s conversion: ‘Brother Saul’ (v 17). It is precisely the lives of people like Ananias that explains the growth of the early church.

Have you known an ‘Ananias’? Give thanks for them, and imitate their example.

¹ Acts 7:58 – 8:3  ² See James Montgomery’s (1771–1854) hymn: ‘Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire’