Acts 1:12-14 (NIV)
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
The disciples were instantly obedient to Jesus’ command, and after His ascension, they walked the three-quarters of a mile back to the upper room in Jerusalem where they had been staying. This was the same guest room where they had eaten the Passover meal with Jesus just six weeks earlier (Mark 14:12-16), and which had become their base of operation in the city.
Luke lists the apostles, those eleven disciples that Jesus had specifically chosen to be with Him, to learn His ways, and to be sent out by Him. Other than slight changes in the order and the conspicuous absence of Judas Iscariot, the names on this list are identical to those that appear in Luke 6:13-16.
But it was not only those eleven who were there. Luke tells us that “the women” were also present, those who had accompanied Jesus on His journeys and met His needs out of their own resources, including Mary Magdalene and the mother of James and John, Zebedee’s wife (Matthew 27:55-56). Also present were Mary, Jesus’ mother (called by Matthew “the mother of James and Joses – Matthew 13:55, 27:56), as well as His brothers themselves. This is significant, because before His death and resurrection, Jesus’ brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:5).
But this solid and growing group of people were not merely hanging out together. They went to the temple daily to worship and pray (Luke 24:53), and when the gates to the temple were closed at sunset, they prayed together in the upper room. In this way, they grew into a community, a whole group of people with a single focus, who lived together in anticipation of the coming gift of the Holy Spirit from the Father.
Father, when I was younger, I heard the saying: “The church that prays together stays together.” And these verses strongly support that. So often our prayers as a congregation are not uniting, because I am praying about what is important to me, and others are focusing their prayers on what is important to them. We rarely focus our prayers on what is import to US, the mission You have given us as a congregation, and the specific promises You have made to us. What a powerful difference that kind of focus would make! Help us, Lord, as Your people, to unite our hearts and our prayers around all that You have revealed to us, both regarding our mission and Your promises, so that we can be molded and shaped into a real community. Amen.
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