According to the Acts of the Apostles in the Bible, a man named Saul was a Pharisee, or conservative Jew. He was active in the fight to stop Jesus from preaching. One day Saul was going to Damascus to arrest any followers of Jesus he might find. As he rode along, a light flashed in front of him, and he fell to the ground, blinded.
. . . and at the same time heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Who are you, sir?” he asked. The voice answered, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, where you will be told what to do.” (Acts 9:4-6)
For several days, Saul could not see. He converted to Christianity and took the name Paul. His sight returned when he was baptized. Now instead of persecuting Christians, Paul became an active preacher in Jesus’ name.
Saul had a dramatic moment of spiritual awakening. However, spiritual awakening does not need to be so dramatic. Have you ever had a moment when you felt spiritually aware? Describe your experience.