Key Bible Verses

Acts 9:10-19, 22:12

Who Was He?

Ananias was a disciple of Jesus who lived in Jerusalem. According to tradition he was one of the seventy-two sent out by Jesus in Luke 10. The event that Ananias is best known for is his role in Saul’s conversion. God spoke to Ananias in a vision and instructed him to go to a particular house and lay hands on Saul so that his eyes would be opened.

How Did the Spirit Work In Him?

1. Hearing God’s Voice

Through a vision, Ananias heard Jesus speaking to him and giving him a specific job to do. After a bit of dialogue, Ananias obeyed and did exactly what Jesus had spoken to him about. This is a normal part of life in the Spirit. Jesus taught that his sheep will know his voice, and we should be expectant to hear God speaking to us and ready to obey when he does.

2. Loving Enemies

The specific instruction that Ananias was given was a difficult one. He was to go to Saul, the man who had been persecuting Christians and had likely caused the imprisonment, beating or death of numbers of Ananias’s friends. Yet, having heard this word from God, Ananias calls Saul ‘brother’ and treats him with love.

3. Healing

When Saul met Jesus on the road, he was blinded with scales forming over his eyes. Ananias laid hands on him and prayed for him, and Saul’s sight was restored to him. Praying for healing is part of how the Spirit sometimes works in the lives of believers, and this story of Ananias is a good example of this in action.