There are a number of important lessons that can be learned from the account detailing the conversion of Saul in Acts Chapter 9. The account sheds some light into pre-conceived notions of "what should be", "protocols" and "preparedness".
- Saul was an unlikely candidate for conversion - he was a Pharisee and persecutor of the church.
- God appeared to him as a bright light and blinded him on the road to Damascus. He had to be led into the city by his companions.
- Once there, Saul did not eat or drink for three days following this incident and during that time he prayed.
- God, in a vision, tells a a disciple in Damascus named Ananias to go to Saul and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.
- Ananias expresses his concerns to God about Saul's reputation, but God reassures Ananias.
- Ananias goes to Saul and lays his hands on him. Saul's vision is restored, he is "filled with the Holy Spirit", and then he is baptized.
- Following this, Saul spends several days with the disciples in Damascus and then immediatly begins to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying "He is the Son of God". He went from persecutor to evangelist in a matter of days.
