Acts 9
Prayer Requests
So far in Acts...
What's happened so far in Acts? Where are we in the story? No verse yet... What's happening in these verses? Summarize in your own words. What would you guess is happening in the Church at Damascus that would prompt Saul to want go there? What do you think Saul's perspective is? Why is he trying to destroy the Church? Does Saul believe in God? Why might that be something significant to think about? No verse yet... Saul was asking for arrest letters to take to Damascus. Do you think he got them? Why or why not? What happens next? What are the immediate implications of Jesus's intervention for Saul? What are the immediate implications of Jesus's intervention for the Church at Damascus? No verse yet...This is a short, but really profound moment in Acts. Paul asks "Who are you Lord?". The Greek word here is kyrios, which can mean "lord, or master," but can also be a greek translation of "Yahweh."
What is Saul asking here? What do you think Saul's mental & emotional posture is in this moment? How does Jesus respond? How do you think Saul feels about that? No verse yet... Why do you think Jesus struck Saul blind? What might be significant about Saul not eating or drinking for 3 days? No verse yet... What do you notice about Ananias' conversation with the Lord? What lessons can you take away from this exchange?When you really think about this, this is another story where we get visibility into just how much the Lord is intervening and orchestrating. From the time he enountered Saul on the road, he orchestrated events over 3 days, with at least 5 seemingly random people involved (Saul, Ananias, Saul's escorts, and Judas).
What times have there been in your life, where, looking back, you have been able to clearly see where God interfered for your benefit? Why do you think it's often hard for us to remember those times, and approach the future with the same confidence? No verse yet... How did Saul respond to the Lord in the days after he was healed of blindness? What do you think is significant about Saul confusing the Jews and proving that Jesus is the Messiah? What tools do you think Saul used to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah? No verse yet... How did Saul's conversion change the experience of believers throughout the region? How was your own conversion experience different from Saul's? How was it similar? No verse yet... What was the result of Aeneas being healed in Lydda? No verse yet... What was the result of Tabitha (Dorcas) being raised from the dead in Joppa?All around Judea and Samaria, people were turning to the Lord after seeing Jesus change lives and hearing testimony.
How do you feel about your own testimony, and how often you share that with others? What makes it hard to share your testimony with others today? What are things we can do to overcome those barriers, and follow Jesus' call to bear witness?