Day 9: The Hesitation of Ananias
SENT: 21-DAYS OF PRAYER AND FASTING
The Hesitation of Ananias
Written By: Paul Oguntimehin
Acts 9:1-19
When I was at university in Guildford, the church I joined was nothing like what I was used to. Many were students from Afro Caribbean backgrounds. Others were long established residents who were older, wealthier, and culturally very different. Two groups from different worlds, divided socially, generationally, and racially.
What I noticed, however, was a shared hesitancy. When new people arrived, both groups held back from building relationships with those who were not like them. Yet, whenever they pushed past that discomfort, something beautiful happened. It was not a picture perfect community, but it was deeply life giving because underneath the differences was a shared truth. We are sinners redeemed by our Saviour.
In Acts 9, when the Lord told Ananias to go and pray for Saul, his hesitation made complete sense. Saul had a reputation. Ananias had every logical reason to question God’s instruction. His hesitation was not only fear. It was his own wisdom rising above God’s command.
Meanwhile, our hesitations today are far easier. Mine in Guildford were about awkward conversations and cultural differences, not the threat of violence. Yet both hesitations, his and ours, hold the same danger. They can keep us from obeying God.
Jesus has already told us to make disciples of all nations. That includes people who are different from us. Jesus even asked in Matthew 5:47, what are we doing more than others if we only greet our own people. There are people around us whom God is shaping and calling us to walk with. Like Ananias, we often hold back at the very moment God is inviting us to step forward.
What I noticed, however, was a shared hesitancy. When new people arrived, both groups held back from building relationships with those who were not like them. Yet, whenever they pushed past that discomfort, something beautiful happened. It was not a picture perfect community, but it was deeply life giving because underneath the differences was a shared truth. We are sinners redeemed by our Saviour.
In Acts 9, when the Lord told Ananias to go and pray for Saul, his hesitation made complete sense. Saul had a reputation. Ananias had every logical reason to question God’s instruction. His hesitation was not only fear. It was his own wisdom rising above God’s command.
Meanwhile, our hesitations today are far easier. Mine in Guildford were about awkward conversations and cultural differences, not the threat of violence. Yet both hesitations, his and ours, hold the same danger. They can keep us from obeying God.
Jesus has already told us to make disciples of all nations. That includes people who are different from us. Jesus even asked in Matthew 5:47, what are we doing more than others if we only greet our own people. There are people around us whom God is shaping and calling us to walk with. Like Ananias, we often hold back at the very moment God is inviting us to step forward.
Reflect
What hesitations keep me from doing life with the people God is calling me to disciple?
Prayer
Lord, remove every hesitation that holds me back from obedience. Give me the courage of Ananias to go, to speak, and to love those You are calling me to. Help me to see people through Your eyes and to step toward those I would naturally avoid. Use my obedience to bring transformation to others. Amen.
Posted in SENT: 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting