Peter had a conviction and a boldness that I would like. When he had met someone who had been bedridden for eight years, he didn’t pray over the man. He just told him this:
“Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.”
No drama. Just a simple prayer.
And he was healed.
And then some men came to him to tell him about a woman who had just died. She was loved by the poor as she made beautiful clothes for them and was generous.
So Peter went to her. He asked everyone to leave and then went in and said this:
“Tabitha, get up.”
No long-winded prayer. No screaming for God to heal. Just a simple command.
She got up and was healed.
There is power in the name of Jesus. We say that, but our belief is a far cry from our reality.
May we grow to have such confidence in the healing power of God, that we can keep it simple and see people healed.
As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord’s people who lived in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up. All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.