John 16:12-13 (NIV) I (Jesus) have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. Jesus, just like You worked on Your disciple’s attitudes and character, I ask You to work on mine. You turned them into people who had tremendous potential. Show me that they were like an electronic device with incredible capabilities but lacking a battery. The Holy Spirit was vital for giving them power. Let Your Holy Spirit flow into my life and empower me to yield to You.

Acts 1:8 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus, help me answer these questions correctly: Is this power to heal? Is this power to raise the dead? Is this power to cast out demons? Or, Is this the power to love? This is a difficult question, Jesus. But, show me that in some ways the answer to all these questions can be answered, “yes!” But in other ways the answer to the first ones are, “no!”

1 Cor 13:1-3 (NIV) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Jesus, teach me that it takes God’s love empowering me to resist the temptation to USE the power for selfish reasons.

Acts 3:1-8 (NIV) One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.

Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.

Jesus, this was the manifestation of Your power flowing through Peter and healing a man. Help me understand that if this power had flowed through a prideful man, it would have brought them into resistance from God: James 4:6 (NIV) But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Work with me so I can be used in a mighty way for Your glory and honor. Let my relationship with You be awesome so that many other people will experience You through me.

Acts 3:11-12 (NIV) While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade. When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? Jesus, show me that all those life classes and Your mighty work and training set Peter free from his pride, his rudeness, his abruptness, and his self-centeredness.

Acts 3:13 (NIV) The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over to be killed, and you disowned Him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go. Jesus, help me see that if these people Peter was talking to killed You, they might want to kill Peter too. Help me see that he doesn’t know whether or not he can make these acusations and not encite a riot. Help me understand that this is a changed Peter; he is willing to tell people the truth. He is willing to lay his life on the line for the truth. Help me be willing to lay my life on the line for You.

Acts 3:14 (NIV) You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. Jesus, even though this is offensive, it is true; help me be able to speak the hard but necessary things. These people have to know they killed their messiah. They have to face their major mistake, own up to it, repent of their horrible sin, and accept You Who they thought was dead. Help me show people that it is important to accept the truth no matter how hard it is to hear. And, help me tell the truth no matter how hard it is to tell. Lives must be based on truth.

Acts 3:15 (NIV) You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. Jesus, Peter could be saying this just to let these people see that they made a major mistake. But, because of his training with You, he has learned to tell the truth to accomplish something important. It is true they killed their messiah; but, help me realize that they don’t know God raised You from the dead. They don’t know that believing in the resurrection will bring eternal life to them; help me share that with those around me.

Rom 10:9 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you WILL be saved. Jesus, You didn’t train Peter and You aren’t training me to rub people’s face in the dirt; we were trained to stay on target. Teach me that Peter could ask You a question; and, if it would take You off of the important issue, You would go on talking as if the question wasn’t asked. These people MUST believe in their heart that God raised You from the dead.

Acts 3:16 (NIV) By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see. Jesus, show me what made Peter think they could hear that You are alive and him act like they believed him. Help me see that it was the convincing proof through the miracle of this man’s healing. Help me realize that it demonstrated that You are alive. Teach me that this miracle was You continuing to do what You had been doing all along. You were flowing through Peter. I ask You to get me to the place where You can flow through me.

Acts 3:17 (NIV) Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. Help me see that Peter had no wavering of faith. He didn’t feel any obligation to try to deal with sceptics. He knew for a fact that You are alive. Show me how he just moved right into the fact that they acted in ignorance by killing their messiah. Help me realize that if there had been any wavering in Peter, he would have watered down the message. He would have spent some time trying to prove it with his presentation.

James 1:6-8 (NIV) But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. Jesus, just like Peter was trained and healed of any doubt, help me be trained and healed. Let my presentation be based on the solidity of my commitment to the facts about You, the living Christ. I know that this is where You want to take me. Help me know the facts (truths) so I can resist anything to the contrary.

Acts 3:18 (NIV) But this is how God fulfilled what He had foretold through all the prophets, saying that His Christ would suffer. Peter’s and Your love, Jesus, for the people was so intense that it helped them feel it as he spoke. Let my love and my faith empower the people I am talking with to be able to resist their body, the world’s lies, and the devil’s deceptions. Rom 10:17 (NIV) Consequently, FAITH comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Acts 3:19-20 (NIV) Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that He may send the Christ, Who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. Jesus, teach me that my greatest demonstration of love is to help a person repent, ask You for forgiveness, ask You for Your power to resist their old way of life, and to put their trust in You. Let me be a person who knows how to yield to God’s love. Let me be a great example of how to resist through love.