Acts 3 starts with an account of Peter & John heading into the temple to pray at 3pm. They come across a man born lame who was a daily visitor to the Gate Beautiful, where he often sat and begged for alms. Both parties here are going about normal every day activities, yet God reached in to this story and did something miraculous. Under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, Peter and John stopped and began to interact with the man. They could have made excuses: they had somewhere to be; they needed to pray; etc, but instead they stopped and made themselves available to what God wanted to do. We pick up the story in verse seven
Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and ankles were instantly healed and strengthened. 8 He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them. 9 All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10 When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11 They all rushed out in amazement to Solomon’s Colonnade, where the man was holding tightly to Peter and John. 12 Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. “People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? 13 For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob–the God of all our ancestors–who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. (Acts 3:7-13a)
Because Peter was a man filled with the Holy Spirit and because he responded to God’s prompting to take the time to talk to this man, we have this wonderful account, not only of a miraculous healing, but of a man who’s heart was full of God’s praise and the impact that had upon the community around Him. Peter made himself available to God and took the opportunities that God presented to Him. This is the life of faith and Holy Spirit tenacity that is open to each person that presents themselves wholeheartedly to Jesus.