In the book of Acts chapter 9, we see the dramatic conversion of Paul following a direct encounter with the Lord Jesus. Following this encounter Paul was left blind for three days and did not eat! That was some encounter that makes you lose your appetite!
Why was Paul blinded by his meeting with Jesus? What was Jesus teaching him and what was He going to do in this situation? Would this situation involve anyone else and therefore teach them something about the miracle of the mercy of God?
When you have put out of ‘sight’ things and distractions and are pursuing God in prayer, we open up the realms of the Spirit of God. When things are out of sight, we can focus on what’s important, notably the purposes of God! And that is what the Apostle Paul found! His sight was taken and therefore had no distractions and had the undivided attention of Jesus! In this time Jesus showed Paul in a vision that a man would come to him called Ananias, that he would place his hands on Paul and regain his sight! Paul was being ministered to in his moment of darkness and ‘fasting’! It is in such times of ‘intentional’ prayer and fasting that we invite the Spirit of God to ‘speak’ – to ‘direct’ and minister to us. Jesus says many times, “let them have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches”. Jesus expects His church to pray and intentionally fast to seek Him for direction. In the case of Paul, Jesus stepped in to ensure Paul gave Jesus the required attention! Let us not need such a reminder but be deliberate and intentional in our prayer and fasting!
And what about Ananias? He too was a man of prayer and fasting. Jesus spoke to Ananias in a vision and said -(Acts 9:10-12) “Ananias.” And he answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul; for he is praying, 12 and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him, so that he may regain his sight.”
Ananias questioned the Lord saying “really – him? He is a persecutor of the church?” – but Jesus said “go, do as i have said”. In obedience Ananias went and laid his hands on Paul and said ” “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came [to Damascus], has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit [in order to proclaim Christ to both Jews and Gentiles].” He said ‘brother Saul’. Whatever anyone has done or their reputation is, once in Christ we all become one, a member of the family of Christ!
This story shows how Jesus communicates to His body when we are praying and fasting in the Spirit. Nothing has changed. Let us be a ‘church’ that continues to pray, fast and seek to ‘hear what the Spirit is saying’, as Jesus continues to build His church. Will we be a church that is available to hear from the Lord? Let us put out of sight distractions that hinder, and place our eyes and attention on Jesus!
