Lessons from Ananias and Saul
Have you ever felt God calling you to do something that seemed absolutely terrifying? Something that made no logical sense? The story of Ananias and Saul in Acts 9 shows us exactly what happens when God asks the impossible of an ordinary believer.
Last week, we saw Saul of Tarsus—the man who breathed threats and murder against followers of Jesus—lying face down in the dirt on the Damascus road. Shaken, terrified, and blind, he was confronted by the voice of Jesus Christ himself. For three days, Saul sat in total darkness without food or water, just thinking about his life choices and truly praying for perhaps the first time in his life.
Who Was Saul Praying To?
This raises an interesting question: who was Saul praying to during those three days of darkness? This was Saul of Tarsus, the Pharisee of Pharisees, who knew all the right ways to pray according to Jewish tradition. But the voice on the road hadn’t identified himself as Yahweh or Elohim—he had said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
For the first time in Saul’s life, he was praying to Jesus—the very one he hated, the one he thought was a blasphemer, the one whose followers he was trying to destroy. Can you imagine the internal wrestling happening in his mind and heart?
What Was Saul Praying For?
Scripture doesn’t tell us exactly what Saul prayed during those three days, but we can imagine. Perhaps his first prayers were ones of terror: “God, what is happening to me?” Then, as reality settled in, maybe his prayers turned to remorse: “Oh God, what have I done?” Finally, stripped of everything—his pride, his power, his sight, his mission—perhaps for the first time, Saul offered truly humble prayers for mercy and forgiveness.
Have you ever been in a season where God completely wrecked your plans? Where everything you thought you knew was suddenly stripped away? Those can be scary times, but they can also be times when God is preparing to do something incredibly new in your life.
God Never Changes Your Plans Without Having a Better One
Here’s the beautiful thing about our God: He never stops someone’s plans without having a plan for what He’s getting ready to do next. He never allows something difficult in your life without already having some kind of redemption in mind. God never brings us to our knees in darkness without the intention of lifting us up to the mountain.
While Saul was sitting in his blindness, God wasn’t just waiting to see what would happen. He was already working on the next piece of this incredible puzzle.
Enter Ananias: The Ordinary Disciple
In Acts 9:10, we meet “a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias.” Notice he’s not described as an apostle or a prophet—just a disciple, an ordinary follower of Jesus. Just like you and me.
God appears to Ananias in a vision and gives him what seems like an impossible assignment:
“Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” (Acts 9:11-12)
When God’s Call Terrifies You
Can you imagine Ananias’s reaction? God was asking him to go meet the very man who had come to Damascus to arrest and possibly kill followers of Jesus! His response is so honest and human:
“Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” (Acts 9:13-14)
Ananias wasn’t being rebellious—he was being real. He was wrestling with a terrifying command. And notice that God doesn’t scold him for his honesty. Instead, He simply reaffirms the call with calm authority: “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15-16)
God Reveals His Surprising Plan
God pulls back the curtain just enough to give Ananias a glimpse of His mind-blowing plan. The church’s number one enemy was about to become the world’s greatest missionary! The one who had inflicted so much suffering on believers was now going to experience tremendous suffering himself for the sake of Christ.
This is God saying, “I know who he was. I know what he did. But I’m choosing him anyway.”
The Courage to Obey
What did Ananias do? Verse 17 tells us: “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'”
Ananias answered God’s terrifying call with courageous obedience. He had no guarantee of how this dangerous man would react. God didn’t show him the full picture—just the next step. And Ananias took that step, trusting God with the results.
What Ananias did changed the world. A seemingly ordinary disciple, acting in faith, played a crucial role in one of the greatest turnaround stories ever told.
Life Application
What is God asking you to do that feels scary? Whose life is He asking you to speak a word of grace or healing into, even when it feels like walking into a lion’s den?
Sometimes God doesn’t show us the full picture. Sometimes He just gives us the next step. Will you, like Ananias, choose God’s will before you even know the outcome? Will you trust that when God gives you a command, He’ll also give you the courage to do it?
Remember that God doesn’t care about your past mistakes. He knows you personally—every detail of your life—and He loves you no matter what. He wants you to be part of His kingdom right now. He’s choosing you. Will you choose Him?
Ask yourself these questions this week:
What “impossible” thing might God be asking me to do?
Am I being honest with God about my fears while still remaining open to His direction?
What would it look like for me to take just the next step in faith, even if I can’t see the whole path?
Is there someone in my life that God is calling me to reach out to, despite my hesitation?
God never gives us easy jobs in His kingdom. But when we step out in obedience, even when it doesn’t make sense, we might just find ourselves participating in something world-changing.