Acts 2:23-31

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:

“‘Why do the nations rage

and the peoples plot in vain?

26 The kings of the earth rise up

and the rulers band together

against the Lord

and against his anointed one.’

27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

-Acts 2:23-31

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The Holy Spirit changes us and transforms us to be more like Jesus.  Remember Peter was a scaredy-cat!  He abandoned Jesus during Jesus’ greatest time of need and denied Jesus three times.

But in this chapter, it’s like a different Peter.  He’s arrested essentially by the Jewish leaders and instead of denying Jesus, basically gives them a Bible lesson.  How is this possible?

It’s because of the power of the Holy Spirit.  In verse 29, the believers prayed for boldness and in verse 31, God answered them by giving them the Holy Spirit.  Peter’s life was transformed by the Holy Spirit.

For those of us who call ourselves Christians, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us.  That’s what of the promises Jesus made to us right before he died.  He said he would give us a Counselor to help us.

Whenever you’re struggling with a temptation and you feel what you’re about to do is wrong, that’s the Holy Spirit tugging at you.  When you are faced with a selfless choice and you feel a nudging to sacrifice for another or for a good cause, that’s the Holy Spirit nudging you.  When you don’t think you can serve in a certain way, but you step up to do so, that’s the Holy Spirit helping you.

The Holy Spirit lives inside of you.  As Christians, you need to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.  How do you do that?  By praying and reading the Bible.  Through prayer you get to speak to the Holy Spirit and through Scripture, you get to listen to the Holy Spirit.  And He will transform you just as He did Peter.