But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
Acts 9:40 NKJV
Many times we pray, lifting up our requests to God, but what do our actions say while we wait for His answer? Can our faith be seen through our day-to-day life? Tucked away in this little story about Tabitha, sometimes called Dorcas, we find a picture of faith in action.
It is no wonder that Tabitha was loved dearly. She was definitely a Proverbs 31 woman. She was “full of good works and charitable deeds” (v. 36). This was demonstrated by her care for the widows. Tabitha made tunics and garments for them. Imagine their grief when she became ill and died.
Upon her death, their faith went into action. “When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room” (Acts 9:37). It was customary to wash the body, but burial always proceeded immediately as in the cases of Lazarus, Ananias and Sapphira. Rather than burying her, they sent two men for Peter. They had heard of the miracles Peter had done in the name of Christ. Did they believe she could be resurrected?
When Peter arrived, he saw the widows’ tears. Peter cleared the room because he did not want an audience. Then, Peter prayed. We do not know the length of his prayer. We do not know his words, but when he finished praying, he spoke to Tabitha, and she opened her eyes. Tabitha was alive! Although they shed tears at the sight of her lifeless body, Tabitha’s friends had prayed. They had acted in faith. God had answered their prayers.
Unlike Tabitha’s friends, I often fail to put my faith into action. Jesus said, “All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). Would you join me in this familiar prayer today?
Lord, help my unbelief! Help me put feet on my faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Acts 9:36-43.
HIKING THE TRAIL
What would faith in action look like in your life today?
Copyright 2016 Carolyn Dale Newell.
If you desire that tyope of faith like I do, then you will want to read my new book, Eyes of Faith: Winning the Battle Between Our Feelings and Our Faith
AMountainOfFaith.com
Originally posted on September 6, 2020 @ 2:18 pm