With One Accord in Prayer
By Teiichiro Kuroda, LCJE Coordinator for Japan
“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1:14).
After Jesus was taken up into heaven, His people gathered in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives with one accord in prayer. That was the reason why they went back to Jerusalem and were waiting for the promise of Father as Jesus said to them. They were so obedient to His word that they gathered in one place to pray to the Lord. Here we can see a characteristic of the saints in ancient times. They were a diverse bunch of people and they all denied the Lord Jesus when Christ was arrested. However, by the time we reach Acts 1:14, they are totally different. I would like to consider three points out their time of prayer together.
1. They prayed in unity
When they were with one accord in prayer, the congregation was in unity. However, three distinct groups of people were present: women (including Mary the mother of Jesus), Jesus’ brothers, and the eleven disciples. With such different backgrounds, how could it be possible for them to pray in unity? I believe it is because they confessed their trespasses to one another and prayed for one another (Eph. 5:16). To have a unity is always not easy, but it is possible for us to have it in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. They prayed and desired the Holy Spirit
They were obedient to what the Lord Jesus said to them before (Acts1:4). They believed in Him and they expected to receive the Holy Spirit very soon. Here we see how their serious prayer moved the hand of God. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask, it will given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” We in LCJE have been praying for the peace of Israel and the world, but in fact there are so many difficulties both in Israel and around world concerning Israel and the Jewish people. We still need patience and faith in Christ’s words. We should also desire that His master plan will be done through His people and that God will reveal Himself through them.
3. They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication
They put their time and energy into prayer when their master disappeared. They did not discuss with each other what they should do. Instead, they all continued with one accord in prayer. The prayer of the three groups of people moved God’s hand for the Day of Pentecost. This is the secret of our Christian life, too. As the Scripture says in Psalm 122:6, “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” we would also like to pray continually for God’s nation, His people and His land.
Teiichiro Kuroda
t_kuroda@osb.att.ne.jp