Praying and Prophesying
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity. In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.
(Acts 9:36-43 HCSB ©®)
Peter was called to Joppa to pray for Dorcas, a believer who had died. In Aramaic, her name was “Tabitha.” In English, it would be “Gazelle.”
Peter’s prayer employed two practices he had learned from Jesus. One was to put out of the room any people who have more faith to believe against miracles than for them. The second was to prophesy to the person who needed the miracle. She was dead. Said more accurately, her flesh was dead. Her spirit heard Peter commanding it to return to her body and give it life again.
Whether you feel led to raise the dead or not, commanding things to come to pass will increase your faith:
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
“If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
“Which one of you having a slave plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready, and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’? Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.'”
(Luke 17:5-10 HCSB ©®)