“And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: ” – Acts 9:10-15
In the above passage you will notice that Ananias was not a pastor or a preacher. He was just an ordinary disciple and yet God used him so powerfully. God, through the gift of Word of Knowledge revealed to him all the details and the whereabouts of Saul (vs. 11, 12) and through the gift of Word of Wisdom, revealing to him His purpose for Saul’s life (vs. 15) and then used Ananias through the gift of healing to restore Saul’s sight and touched Saul’s life in such a powerful manner in leading him into the fullness of the Holy Spirit. So the requirement here to be used by God is, just to be a disciple of Jesus. It is not about the ‘title’ we carry next to our name, but about our ‘commitment’ to the Lord.
Dear young friends, I want to encourage you, if God could use Ananias to minister to Saul in such a dramatic and tremendous way, then remember He can use you too. Don’t limit God’s ability or plan for your life.
All that you need to do is keep submitting and surrendering your life to Jesus afresh every day. Jesus said in Luke 6:40 “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” Desire to become a vessel fit for the master’s use, a vessel through which the purposes of God can flow. The Bible says, ” For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption” – Acts 13:36.
Therefore be filled with the Holy Spirit. Walk in the Spirit, walk in love, obey God’s Word, live under the anointing, move fellowship with people who practice holiness and have faith in God. Some of you may not become a well-known Apostle like Paul who did a lot of work for the Lord. But you can surely become like Ananias, a silent worker to influence people like Paul, or become like Andrew who brought his brother Peter to Jesus (John 1:41). God’s hand is upon you.
It is my prayer that God will have His way in your life and may He reveal JESUS to you and through you as you spend time in His Word.
God Bless you!
Bro S. R. Manohar