Acts 8:14-25 NIV
[14] When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. [15] When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, [16] because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. [18] When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money [19] and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” [20] Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! [21] You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. [22] Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. [23] For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” [24] Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” [25] After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

Dear God, I love the image of Peter and John going out as a team. I wonder how much their enthusiasm for the belief of the Samaritans was informed by their experiences with Jesus and Samaria. The ones that come to the top of my mind are the stories of Jesus and the Samaritan woman and the well (followed by the entire village becoming part of the story), the time John asked Jesus if he wanted John to call down fire on the Samaritans for refusing Jesus to go through there and Jesus rebuked him, and then the parable of “The Good Samaritan.” Without these lessons from Jesus himself, would Peter and John have rejected this new faith from Samaria?

Then there’s the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I don’t pray this nearly enough for people. Whether it’s my children or my coworkers, I need to be more mindful of this. I have my own story of when I felt like I was baptized in the Holy Spirit and it was when my life was truly changed.

Father, I would be remiss in this email if I didn’t stop and thank you for some particularly great things you’ve done for me and those around me this week. Really, thank you. And now I pray that your Holy Spirit will come and flood those I know and love. Spirit, move. Become part of those who have called on the name of Jesus and believed. Fill them with your peace, love, joy, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, kindness, and self control. Protect them from Satan’s attacks and love them well.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen