Text:
Acts 22:1-10
Memory Verse:
“And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 22:7&8).
An experience can be defined as the active participation in an event or activity, leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill. It is something that one is not only conscious of, but benefits from.
Something one has a record of, and can tell others about. The salvation experience of Paul was definite (Acts 9: 1-9). His experience was so vivid that he was able to recount it in detail on at least two separate occasions: before the Sanhedrin as well as before King Agrippa. He knew who
he was before, what he experienced and what he obtained thereafter. During his encounter with the Lord Jesus who he had been persecuting, he was given specific instructions which informed his ministry thereafter.
Experience is a great teacher and most people learn better from their firsthand experiences. Laban, Jacob’s uncle, confessed in Genesis 30:27 that he had learned from experience that the Lord had blessed him for Jacob’s sake. Again Potiphar, an Egyptian, was able to tell from experience that God’s hand was on Joseph, a slave. He, therefore, wisely relinquished the management of all that
he had to Joseph (Genesis 39: 2-6). What definite experiences have you had in life? Have you profited from the experiences God has taken you through? Not following through on your experience is tantamount to wasting it. Saul learned from his experience and built an enviable ministry from it. Have you had a definite personal encounter with Jesus? If yes, your life should have been impacted positively. Do you now, like Saul, have Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?
Prayer Points:
1. Lord, I long for another life changing encounter with You.
2. Lord, help me not to forget all You have taught me through life’s experiences.
