I am praying for a new dependence on the Holy Spirit in my own life. As I walk through the Acts story again in a sermon series for my church, I am disappointed in my own life. How many times I miss the wind of the Spirit! How many times I could have listened… stopped… then moved in a new direction that would have had an impact on someone’s life.

In Acts 3 and 4, where we will be in the text on Sunday, there are several opportunities.

3:4 — Peter looks at the lame man. He “fixes his gaze.” Something is about to happen…

4:5-8 — Peter is hauled before the Sanhedrin to give an answer for what was going on. As Peter gets ready to speak, he is “filled with the Holy Spirit” (v. 8). NOW he is ready!

4:31 — After being threatened, the church prayed. They didn’t pray for a good lawyer. They didn’t pray for “relief.” They didn’t pray that God would do evil things to their enemies. They asked for boldness… and were filled with the Spirit again to be able to keep on proclaiming with boldness.

We need our lives constantly fine tuned. We need these moments to hear the Spirit, then respond.

Lord, help me not to be so deaf!