Upper Room
21 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
So, I’m reading Acts…just started today. Its a book I’ve read in pieces and parts, studied sections of it, even heard many great teachings from it…but I’ve never read it beginning to end. The Lord has been doing amazing things in my life and the life of my husband. He’s showing up in so many new ways! For me, its been a deepening of the intimate areas of my life. He wants me to allow his Holy Spirit and the things associated with Him (the Holy Spirit is a man, not an “it”) into my innermost being. I think this is the reasoning for me being lead into the reading of Acts…where better to get to know the person of the Holy Spirit than where he is most obviously introduced in the word!
What struck me today, was from the first chapter. After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples (which included not only the 11 remaining disciples, but some of the people who also followed Jesus while he was here on earth) went up to the upper room.
First order of business…replace Judas. No. How about decide what we’re going to do now that Jesus is gone. Nope. Ok, then let’s elect a board and appoint someone to direct us. Not that either. First order of business was to go before the Lord, together as one! They went up to pray! Verse 14 says, “These all (referring to the brethren gathered) continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…” And then I saw it, verse 15, “And in those days…” So I ask myself, “how many days were they up there?” I know there are SO many schools of thought on this question…I’m sure they’ve even truly figured it out in some theological school somewhere. But then I felt the Lord saying, “Is it important the number of days they were there or what and how they were going about doing while they were there?”
They prayed, in ONE ACCORD and in supplication to the Lord. It was this one accord prayer that led to the Holy Spirit arriving on the scene (ch.2). They waited, rested in God, and prayed together as one. So, what’s the one accord that gathers His people to usher in the Holy Spirit? I believe they were praying prayers of the surety of who God is, the surety of who they are, and the surety of the promise that Jesus left them with.
When we are left in a situation of desparation or when things look hopeless…where are our prayers? Are they prayers out of our hopelessness or out of the person of Christ? Do we pray, hoping God will show up…maybe if we pray hard enough? Or is there conviction in our prayers? Can we pray with the true identity in Christ that we are His and He is our and he’s given us power from on high?
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…”
