“Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are merciful and gracious towards us. We are unworthy but You have continued to embrace and nurture us in our walk with You. Lord, teach us to be faithful to You. We surrender to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers”. The disciples along with the others had gathered together in one accord and they were in prayer and supplication. We have seen that the church has to be in one accord. We have understood that oneness is possible, in the church, for we have been created with the inbuilt capacity for oneness and we have a unifying mission. Our mission is that people must come to faith in Jesus. We put aside our differences and we nurture one another because our conduct must be worthy of the Gospel. People come to faith in Jesus because of the church.
After the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we see how the church prayed and what was the substance of their prayer at that time. Now, before the baptism of the Holy Spirit, what was the substance of their prayer. Luke 24:52-53 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, (53) and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen”. Their prayer consisted of worship, praise and blessing God. This was the life of the disciples after the Lord had parted from them. This has to be our prayer too as His church. We must be always full of thanksgiving, gratefulness and adoration for all that He does in our lives and for all that He is.
We know that they were waiting and praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now”. Praying and waiting for the Holy Spirit was also in alignment with what our Lord has taught us. Luke 11:13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” This longing for the filling of the Holy Spirit, over and over and over again, is a deep prayer thirst of the church. We know that our life is all about the Holy Spirit. He operates in and through us in ways that are beyond human grasp.
As they were waiting expectantly and praying for the Holy Spirit that they were baptised. Acts 2:1-4. Their prayer was not just for the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience, but they knew the task that was placed on them. They were to be His witnesses. Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Therefore, their prayer was seeking to know from the Lord how they ought to be His witnesses. We must seek the Lord to show us how to be His witnesses. What are the needs of the people, and what are we to do to connect with people and share with them the love of Jesus so that people may come to faith in Jesus? This is the unifying mission of the church. The circumstances in which the disciples were at that time were hostile. There were threats against them. Earlier the disciples were afraid but they were now coming out of their fear. They had not yet come to the level of boldness that we can see after they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. Yet, the threats from their enemies were a real concern. This was a matter of their prayer.
Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Then we read of the parable of the ungodly judge and the persistent widow. Luke 18:7-8 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? (8) I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” We must bring our fears and concerns to God in prayer, knowing that He bears and carries us. We are in His care and safety. We know that the church does go through persecution and suffering for the sake of Christ. Yet, even in the midst of the anguish, the Lord upholds us in the most unique manner.
Their prayer in the upper room was rooted in the principle of prayer that the Lord had given. Matthew 18:18-20 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (19) “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. (20) For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
Our prayer
“Lord, teach and strengthen to always be in prayer as Your church.”