Acts 22:17-18 After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
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Paul’s return to Jerusalem was so wild that it became a riot.
A group of Jews from the province Asia (today’s Turkey), were falsely accusing Paul of bringing Gentiles into the Temple. They grabbed him with the intention of killing him when the Roman commander of a regiment was summoned to deal with this disturbance.
By this time, Paul was somewhat used to this kind of response, so he knew what to do. He spoke to the commander in Greek (which surprised him), gave his credentials (as a Jewish citizen of Tarsus and a Roman citizen), and petitioned him to speak to the mob. The commander gave his permission.
Paul stood in front of them and in Aramaic, gave his testimony of being transformed from a prosecutor of Jesus’s followers to becoming one of them.
He recounted the Damascus Road encounter with the Risen Christ and his visit from Ananias who prayed for healing of his blindness from that encounter with the Lord.
Paul then shared a story that is only mentioned here — praying in the Temple that resulted in a warning that his life was in danger. This was followed by Paul’s unique calling which was to take the gospel to Gentiles.
Like many other aspects of Paul’s ministry, this life-changing, world-changing event came to him through prayer.
PRAYER STARTER…
O Great Lord God, when we come before you in prayer, may we be prepared for answers that are exceeding above all we could ask or think. Prevent us from limiting what you can do by our unbelief or doubts, dear Lord. Help us to expect unexpected things ‘above all that we ask or think.’
(Continue this prayer as the Holy Spirit directs you personally. Be willing to pray boldly — as Jesus said in Matthew 7:11, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him." )