“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” – Acts 2:4

John Ortberg likens the transformative path of Christ to sailing. Sailors can't make the wind show up; the wind has a mind of its own. But that doesn't mean there is nothing for them to do. Sailors can choose to be alert and ready to catch the breeze or the gale. They can hoist and trim the sails so that when the wind comes, they move. They can cooperate with whatever little breath of wind comes their way. They can be ready so that when the gale

comes along, they don't sink. They hear and feel the wind and take hold of the helm and move. Jesus said, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (Jn 3:8).

We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, listening and following Him in all that we do. Today in prayer, ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit that you may do His will. 

“Savior, fill me with Thy Spirit, As I seek and wait and pray,

Bend and break me, blessed Master—Make me wholly Thine today.

Lord, I bow in full surrender, Yielding all I have to Thee:

Come and fill me with Thy Spirit—Sanctify Thyself in me.

I would tarry in Thy presence, 'Til endued with power and love:

I would know the mighty fullness, Of Thy Spirit from above.

Will He come in all His fullness, As I now obey Thy call?

Yes, oh, yes, for Thou has promised, If I come confessing all.” —Oswald J. Smith

God’s Word: “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” – Titus 3:5-6

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN ACTS †

“They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” – Acts 1:14

Mark Batterson writes: “Several years ago I was part of a small group with a friend who was working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Georgetown University. As we shared prayer requests at the end of one of our meetings, my friend said their ministry needed a computer and I said I’d pray for him. I started praying that God would provide a computer, and then I felt as if God interrupted me.

It’s hard to describe the tone I heard from God. It was stern but not unkind.

It was as if the Holy Spirit whispered these words to my spirit: Why are you asking Me? You’re the one with the extra computer! So I quit praying mid-sentence and decided to do something about it. I told my friend I had a computer that I wanted to give him. And I became the answer to my own prayer. Why ask God to do something for us when it is within our power to do something about it ourselves? There are some things you don’t need to pray about.

You don’t need to pray about whether you should love your neighbor. You don’t need to pray about whether you should give generously or serve sacrificially. You don’t need to pray about whether you should bless someone when it is within your power to do so. God has already spoken. What you need to do is quit praying and start acting. Fill out the application. Make the call. Pack the U-Haul.”

The Lord takes joy anytime we come to him with our problems in prayer. Today in prayer, be persistent in your prayers and seek Jesus with your whole heart.

“Wherever we seek the Lord with true hearts he is found of us; whenever we cry unto him he heareth us. Every place is hallowed ground to a hallowed heart, and every day is a holy day to a holy man. From January to December the calendar has not one date in which prayer is forbidden.” – Charles H. Spurgeon

God’s Word: “pray continually” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN ACTS

“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.” – Acts 1:8

Bob Goff wrote the following: “If you’ve ever run a business or led a team of people, you know what it’s like to send someone in your place. You know they’re going to interact with a person who might not know you, and that person will base their opinion about you on the someone you sent. Parents feel this too. 

We often feel like our kids are little representations of us. If they’re kind and respectful, people say we raised them well. If they toilet paper the neighbor’s house, we worry others will judge us for our kids’ behavior. God works in much the same way. When people interact with difficult, judgmental people who say they follow Jesus, it’s hard to imagine how the God they say they’re speaking for is gracious and kind. 

We can say all the right words, but if we don’t model love the way Jesus did, people won’t just think we’re mean—they’ll think God is. I get that. The best way to give people a glimpse of God is for us to be exactly who He says we are: love. He says people will know we follow Him when they see how we love one another. He put His confidence in us to represent Him because He knows what we’re capable of if we’ll put down our pride. He wouldn’t have put us on the job if He didn’t think we were ready.”

The Lord desires us to reach others for Him. Today in prayer, ask the Lord how you can love others and be His witness in the world.

“It is always right that a man should be able to render a reason for the faith that is within him.” – Sydney Smith

God’s Word: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19-20

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN ACTS †

“After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” – Acts 1:3

Russ Ramsey wrote the following: “Jesus’s resurrection opened a door between the fallen, groaning world into which he was born and the renewal of all things. That door was a stone rolled back by the very finger of God from the mouth of a grave outside of Jerusalem. Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son, present at creation, came in the flesh to be the mediator between God and man.

He lived the life of perfect righteousness that all men have failed to live. He died as a lamb led to the slaughter, offering himself up as the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world, once and for all. He rose from the grave defeating death itself. Bearing all authority in heaven and on earth, he lives as the appointed heir of all things.7 He rules over every corner of creation, putting every enemy under his feet while making alive by grace through faith those who were dead in their sins.

…Jesus’s resurrection is the guarantee of the coming renewal of all things. On that day, the world into which he was born will become like an old, old tale.”

Our Hope is in Jesus Christ who did rise from the grave and gives eternal life to all who trust in Him. Today in prayer, praise Christ for His resurrection.

“Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” – Watchman Nee

God’s Word: “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’” – Luke 24:36

By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2026, Devotional E-Mail   

DEVOTIONS IN ACTS †