Acts 9:7 - Prayer Tents

Saul’s Conversion

9Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord's followers

. So he went to the high priest.G1161G4569G2089G1709G547G2532G5408G1519G3101G2962G4334G7492He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.G154G3844G846G1992G1519G1154G4314G4864G3704G1437G2147G5100G3598G5037G5607G435G2532G1135G71G1210G1519G24193As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him.G1161G846G4198G1722G1096G1448G1154G2532G1810G4015G846G5457G575G37724He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"G2532G4098G1909G1093G191G5456G3004G846G4549G4549G5101G1377G31655"Who are you, lord?" Saul asked And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!G1161G2036G5101G1488G2962G1161G2962G2036G1473G1510G2424G3739G4771G1377G4642G4671G2979G4314G27596Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."G5037G5141G2532G2284G2036G2962G5101G2309G3165G4160G2532G2962G4314G846G450G2532G1525G1519G4172G2532G2980G4671G5101G4571G1163G41607The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone's voice but saw no one!G1161G435G3588G4922G846G2476G1769G191G3303G5456G1161G2334G33678Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus.G1161G4569G1453G575G1093G1161G846G3788G455G991G3762G1161G5496G846G5496G1521G1519G11549He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink.G2532G2258G5140G2250G3361G991G2532G3756G5315G3761G409510Now there was a believer

in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord!" he replied.G1161G2258G5100G3101G1722G1154G3686G367G2532G4314G846G2036G2962G1722G3705G367G1161G2036G2400G1473G296211The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now.G1161G2962G4314G846G450G4198G1909G4505G3588G2564G2117G2532G2212G1722G3614G2455G3686G4569G5018G1063G2400G433612I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again."G2532G1492G1722G3705G435G3686G367G1525G2532G2007G5495G2007G846G3704G30813"But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers

in Jerusalem!G1161G367G611G2962G191G575G4183G4012G5127G435G3745G2556G4160G4675G40G1722G241914And he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name."G2532G5602G2192G1849G3844G749G1210G3956G1941G4675G368615But the Lord said, "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel.G1161G2962G2036G4314G846G4198G3754G3778G2076G1589G4632G3427G941G3450G3686G1799G1484G2532G935G5037G5207G247416And I will show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake."G1063G1473G5263G846G3745G846G1163G3958G5228G3450G3686G522817So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."G1161G367G565G2532G1525G1519G3614G2532G2007G5495G1909G846G2036G80G4549G2962G2424G3700G4671G1722G3598G3739G2064G649G3165G3704G308G2532G4130G40G415118Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized.G2532G2112G634G575G846G3788G5616G3013G308G3916G5037G450G2532G907

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

19Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength. Saul stayed with the believers

in Damascus for a few days.G2532G2983G5160G1765G1161G1096G4569G5100G2250G3326G3101G1722G115420And immediately he began preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is indeed the Son of God!"G2532G2112G2784G5547G1722G4864G3754G3778G2076G5207G231621All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who caused such devastation among Jesus' followers in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And didn't he come here to arrest them and take them in chains to the leading priests?"G1161G3956G191G1839G2532G3004G2076G3756G3778G4199G3588G1941G5124G3686G1722G2419G2532G2064G5602G1519G5124G1519G2443G71G846G1210G1909G74922Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.G1161G4569G1743G3123G1743G2532G4797G2453G3588G2730G1722G1154G4822G3754G3778G2076G554723After a while some of the Jews plotted together to kill him.G1161G5613G2425G2250G4137G2453G4823G337G84624They were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder him, but Saul was told about their plot.G1161G846G1917G1097G4569G5037G3906G4439G2250G2532G3571G3704G337G84625So during the night, some of the other believers

lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the city wall.G1161G3101G2983G846G3571G2524G5465G1223G5038G1722G471126When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers

, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!G1161G4569G3854G1519G2419G3987G2853G3101G2532G5399G3956G5399G846G4100G3361G3754G2076G310127Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.G1161G921G1949G846G71G4314G652G2532G1334G846G4459G1492G2962G1722G3598G2532G3754G2980G846G2532G4459G3955G1722G1154G1722G3686G242428So Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord.G2532G2258G3326G846G1531G2532G1607G1722G241929He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him.G2532G2980G3955G1722G3686G2962G2424G5037G2532G4802G4314G1675G1161G2021G337G84630When the believers

heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus, his hometown.G1161G80G1921G2609G846G2609G1519G2542G2532G1821G846G1821G1519G501931The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers.G3303G3767G2192G1577G1515G2596G3650G2449G2532G1056G2532G4540G3618G2532G4198G5401G2962G2532G3874G40G4151G4129

Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Dorcas

32Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda.G1161G1096G1330G4074G1330G1223G3956G2718G2532G4314G40G3588G2730G306933There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.G1161G1563G2147G5100G444G3686G132G2621G1909G2895G1537G3638G2094G3739G2258G388634Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, and roll up your sleeping mat!" And he was healed instantly.G2532G4074G2036G846G132G2424G5547G2390G4571G2390G450G2532G4766G4572G4766G2532G450G211235Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord.G2532G3956G2730G3069G2532G4565G1492G846G3748G1994G1909G296236There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas

). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.G1161G2258G1722G2445G5100G3102G3686G5000G3739G1329G3004G1393G3778G846G2258G4134G18G2041G2532G1654G3739G416037About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room.G1161G1096G1722G1565G2250G770G599G1161G846G3068G846G5087G1722G525338But the believers

had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, "Please come as soon as possible!"G1161G5607G3069G1451G2445G3101G191G3754G4074G2076G1722G846G649G4314G846G1417G435G3870G3635G3361G3635G1330G2193G84639So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other clothes Dorcas had made for them.G1161G4074G450G4905G846G3739G3854G321G1519G5253G2532G3956G5503G3936G846G2799G2532G1925G5509G2532G2440G3745G1393G4160G5607G3326G84640But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said, "Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up!G1161G4074G1544G3956G1854G5087G1119G4336G2532G1994G4314G4983G2036G5000G450G1161G455G846G3788G2532G1492G4074G33941He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he presented her to them alive.G1161G1325G846G5495G450G846G450G1161G5455G40G2532G5503G3936G846G219842The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord.G1161G1096G1110G2596G3650G2445G2532G4183G4100G1909G296243And Peter stayed a long time in Joppa, living with Simon, a tanner of hides.G1161G1096G846G3306G2425G2250G1722G2445G3844G5100G4613G1038