Answer Request:
When Jesus asked the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit and power, what were they supposed to use the power for?
The role of the Holy Spirit over Israel is far more than just to empower them for miracles and signs, but, in the context of your question, this is the case.
Since the days of Moses, when Israel was in Egypt and then in the wilderness, they followed after the signs that God provided. In actual fact, God made a covenant with Israel to let them know that He would do signs before them to prove His Word.
Exodus 34:10 And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the Lord: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
It is because of this that we read later in the Bible that Jews require a sign.
1 Cor.1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
So, to answer your question, "what were they supposed to use the power for?"
It was to confirm the message of the gospel. Come the day of Pentecost, the apostles went out preaching the gospel of God to all the Jews present for the feast in Jerusalem. In order to confirm that the gospel they were preaching was true, and validated by God, they were empowered to show Israel proof through signs.
This is actually similar regarding the ministry of Jesus. After Jesus was water baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him as a dove, and after His baptism and wilderness temptations, he started His ministry with signs of healings, and casting out devils, and other miraculous acts. This was to validate what the prophets had spoken and to help Israel recognize Him as their Messiah.
Jews required signs.
Matt.12:38, Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."
Matt.16:1, Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.
John 6:30, There they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?"
Side Note:
The church today still runs after all manner of signs and miracles, but just like it did not do much for Israel's relationship with God, the same applies to those today who look for signs instead of believing in God's Word. Signs are all hype but rarely do they change the heart. Miracles satisfy the flesh, but today we are called to walk in the spirit,
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight:
Our faith is NOT based on signs and evidence, but rather on faith (alone). We, today, have the AWESOME privilege of being able to walk in the completed glory of God's full revelation of His Word.
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