Acts 1:13-14
Verse 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
We mentioned in our time together yesterday how those gathered in this upper room were joined together constantly in prayer. Prayer meetings have always played a vital part in revival. Praying as individuals is very important to our personal spiritual life but there is something special when God’s people come together to pray for a specific purpose.
We may not know the specifics of their prayers in that upper room but we know they were personal because He was personal to them. This group of around 15 people may have viewed prayer a little differently than we do as they had talked with Jesus person to person. When we prayer we are praying to someone we have only met in spirit. It doesn’t mean we don’t know Jesus, just that our relationship with Him is something they hadn’t experienced yet.
One thing we know they must have been praying about was the ministry they knew was coming. It isn’t that they were unfamiliar with the message or teachings they knew they would be passing forward, but they were used to having Jesus there to answer questions they didn’t know the answer to. Yes, He had said He would send a helper but they didn’t know how that was going to work if they were to be scattered, going into all the world to share the truth of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.
This group of dear friends would have been spending much time asking the Lord to do the needed work in them so they could make Him known to the nations. They may have been more aware of their humanity as they felt the weight of carrying such a message. Their prayers could have included requests for strength and the right words to share. Prayers that they wouldn’t be an embarrassment to Christ in how they acted and/or spoke.
But they didn’t just want to introduce Him to the world, they wanted the world to accept Him and make Him their own king. With that thought, their prayers were likely focused on the changing of hearts. Maybe they were praying for God to already be softening the hearts of those He wanted to reach. Each of these people may have had stories of their own where they could look back and see how God had been preparing them for His message. This time together in prayer would have been something these believers would have remembered the rest of their lives.
Making It Personal
Who has prayed for you and your spiritual growth? Who have you prayed for spiritual growth for? Is there a moment in your life where you can look back and know that was God working on your heart?
Making It Personal Kids
Do you know of anyone who is praying for you to grow to be more like Jesus? Have you ever prayed for someone else to grow to be more like Jesus? What has Jesus done to get your attention?
Closing Prayer
Father, we repent of failing to pray for the lost as often as we should. Give us hearts which bring to You the people on our hearts, asking You to work on their hearts so they are ready to hear Your message. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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