These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. (Acts 1:14 NAS95)
The disciples of Jesus had just gone through the most radical reorienting events of their lives. After His resurrection, Jesus spent the last 40 days off and on sharing about the Kingdom with His disciples. Prior to His ascension, Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit. The way they had perceived Kingdom and their relationship to God had been revolutionized. They had access. God invited them to come close through Jesus, to be His people. They could speak with God directly — a God Who loved them, even unto death as Jesus revealed. These mind-blowing events and their implications began to take root, but they still had difficulty comprehending their fullness. No wonder they longed to pray. As the 120 waited, they devoted themselves to prayer, to communion with God. And they heard.
The first chapter of Acts sets pace for the rest of the book. Prayer becomes the warp and woof of the burgeoning community of faith or rather the exploding numbers of disciples. As they prayed, they began to see and understand the full wonder of what the ascended Jesus meant for the world. Communion with God reflected their Lord who lived in union with His Father. The love and acceptance of God demonstrated by Christ invited them, or rather compelled them to seek Him through prayer, to seek first His Kingdom. And as the rest of Acts shows, they felt empowered to invite others to enjoy and experience the life available through following Jesus. Prayer. Access. Communion. Life with God empowers the church for His purposes.
For Reflection:
“May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” (Psalms 141:2 NAS95)
- As you consider your prayer life, at what level do God’s desires shape the conversation? At what level do yours?
- What do you sense God asking you to pray for in you life, ministry and character?
