Step Out in Prayer

Read the Text: Acts 1

Memorize the Text:   He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8)

Consider the Text: Acts 1:12-14

As the Book of Acts opens, the author Luke details the last words of Christ and his ascension into heaven. The ascension meant the disciples no longer had Jesus in their physical presence but now needed to rely on the promised Holy Spirit. The disciples went to an upper room to wait for this arrival and began to seek the Lord in prayer. Their activity modeled an important reality of how we need to seek the Lord and wait upon him in the activity of prayer. 

We need to recognize that prayer is EXPECTED. Jesus commanded that we participate in prayer. Jesus gave this command in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 and stated it in other declarations like Luke 11 and Luke 18. Jesus supported this decree to pray by supporting the spoken component with the personal example of praying. Jesus would get alone to pray to his Father and showed the importance of this spiritual activity to the disciples. 

In the early church, the apostle Paul spoke of the necessity to pray. He commanded the church to be devoted to prayer in Colossians 4. The idea of being dedicated to prayer indicates a deep commitment to speaking with the Lord. To clarify the amount of prayer, the Apostle expected believers to pray continually as he challenged the church in 1 Thessalonians 5. Thus, the practice of prayer in Acts 1 finds support for today's continued practice in the life and ministry of Jesus and the apostle Paul. 

We need to see the importance of CORPORATE prayer. The disciples came together and prayed together. This gathering demonstrated the importance of praying with others.  Together, the disciples remained persisted in their prayer. They refused to abandon the act of praying until the Lord responded to their cry. Prayer in this model includes speaking, listening, and waiting on the Lord.

When we pray with others, we need to seek to be of one mind. The concern of the disciples centered on obedience to the will of God. When we join in praying as a group of believers, we need to focus our hearts not on getting what we believe is right but a surrendered heart to see the will of God done. The basic question becomes, “now what, Lord?” and the basic response becomes, “yes, Lord, here I am.”

The practice of corporate prayer opens the door to being sustained by the Lord and receiving power from the Lord. The disciples trusted in the Lord, and prayer provided the portal to live in communication and receive reminders of God’s presence, power, and working in their lives. Prayer aids one’s ability to live in God’s truth and power to fulfill his commands in our lives and overcome the temptations we face. 

When we see the disciples go away to the upper room and pray, we need to ask ourselves if we are ready to engage the Lord in the same manner. Will we commit to joining others with one heart and mind and seeking the Lord? Will we seek to practice prayer in the mindset of listening and responding to the Lord instead of attempting to demand our will? 

This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.