Acts 8:9 (NIV) Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great. Jesus, Simon put his trust in sorcery. Help me see that he was open to his body, the world, and the devil. He not only wasn’t resisting, he was embracing everything that would give him money, possessions, positions, popularity, prestige, power, pleasure, and accomplishments. Show me that a lot of what he was doing was coming from the power of Satan.

Acts 8:10 (NIV) And all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.”Jesus, if I am getting what I want from my body, the world, and the devil, help me realize that it is extremely hard for me to put my trust in God. I would already feel like I had found what I was looking for. I would have some problems in my life; but, there would be so many things that would appear to be going right. But, my main problem would be my conscience; the Holy Spirit would be creating guilt in it as a warning of impending doom.

Acts 8:11 (NIV) They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. Jesus, teach me that when I believe that the majority represents the truth, I start trying to get as many people agreeing with me as possible. If many people are saying I am doing the right thing, then I put my trust in majority opinion. I think, if this many people are saying this is right, then it must be true. However, You have already shown me that there will be more going down the broad road to destruction and less down the narrow road to eternal life.

Acts 8:12 (NIV) But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Jesus, Adam and Eve had the opposite situation. They were surrounded by good trees and only had one forbidden tree to contend with. Simon was surrounded with lots of people who were heading in the wrong direction and Philip was the only good messenger telling him the truth. Help me see how that is my situation as well.

Acts 8:13 (NIV) Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. Jesus, teach me that coming into trust and fellowship with You requires repentance. Teach me that repentance requires me to WANT to quit doing wrong, bad, and evil things. I have to reject my old life and embrace my new life. Show me that sin has to become something I hate; and, righteousness (only doing good things) becomes something I love. Help me see that Simon didn’t make a clean break with his past. He just ADDED You to his old life.

Acts 8:14 (NIV) When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. Jesus, help me understand these different kinds of ministries. Help me see that Philip was just making sure everyone got a chance to be born again. Those that made a quick, clean break from their past and put their trust in You were totally changed through Philip’s ministry. But, Simon and probably others needed a more specific ministry. Show me how Peter and John were to help these new Christians get the power to live this new Christian life. Philip’s type of ministry keeps moving on to new territory.

Acts 8:15-16 (NIV) When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Jesus, me accepting You as my Lord, Savior, and King was my first step into Christianity. However, help me realize that Christianity is a whole new way of life. I need the desire to live that life; I need to study how to live that life; I need to learn how to pray and talk to God; I need to learn how to believe for all the new things I am going to need; I need to learn how to yield to God’s love; and I need to start taking faith-action.

Acts 8:17 (NIV) Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Jesus, You forgave me of all my past, present, and future sins. However, I need to start treating myself, other people, and God’s plan with righteous living. Teach me that, that takes the power of the Holy Spirit. He leads me into all God’s truths and explains their meaning. He gives me power to live the Christian life in such a way that others want what I have. He is vital for empowering my new life in You.

Acts 8:18-19 (NIV) When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus, Simon wasn’t trusting in You and resisting his body, the world, and the devil. He was trying to bring it all into one unified way of life. He thought he could go on yielding to his body, the world, and the devil while including You in the mix. Protect me from doing anything like that.

Acts 8:20 (NIV) Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! Jesus, You dealt with people like Simon: Mat 6:24 (NIV) No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Show me that it would be like trying to ride two horses going in opposite directions. Repentance is like a U-turn; it’s me going into a totally different way of life.

Acts 8:21 (NIV) You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Jesus, Simon had made what he considered to be a pretty good life for himself. Since he still didn’t see that life as being all that wrong, he wasn’t ready to give it up. He didn’t feel like it was wrong for him to take himself and others into deception, misinformation, lies, cheating, misleading, and sin. He was leading people into eternal death and didn’t see anything wrong with it. He was acting like he was a savior but couldn’t save people like You can. Set me free from such philosophies and concepts.

Acts 8:22-23 (NIV) Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. Jesus, help me fully see that Simon’s efforts to add You to his old way of life didn’t work; he was still a captive to sin. Since he didn’t want to resist his body, the world, or the devil, he couldn’t repent. Help me not be like him and be happy with the way my life is going. His life was killing him and killing his chances to receive eternal life.

Acts 8:24 (NIV) Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Jesus, teach me that if Simon was really ready to repent and give up his old life, You were ready to give him a new life. If Simon was ready to put his trust in You and start resisting his old way of life, then eternal life was his! Make it clear to me that trust is vital for me to go all the way and make a clean break with my past. I will only resist, if I see there are things trying to get into my life that are deadly to me.