Acts 1:9-14 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
We are told in these simple words what the Apostles did immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. Fresh from the wonderful and touching sight of their beloved Master being taken away from them – with the message brought by angels bidding them to expect His Second Advent still ringing in their ears – they returned from Mount Olivet to Jerusalem and went at once “into an upper room”. They immediately sensed the urgency of prayer. Who do you think they learned that from? Jesus Himself.
This upper room prayer meeting sets before us the example of corporate prayer. After the Ascension of Jesus Christ, this group of believers immediately began to pray together, to worship, and to exhort one another. Take note who was in this upper room. Also note that unity which characterized this first meeting in the “upper room.” We are told expressly, that they were all there “with one accord,” that is, of one mind. There were no divisions among them. They believed the same thing. They loved the same Person, and at present there was no disagreement among them. They weren’t Baptists or Calvinists or Armenians or Charismatics; they were simply souls that had been redeemed by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. They believed in Jesus Christ; they loved Jesus Christ; they knew He was alive, and they longed for His kingdom to come in glory and power.
They came with one united purpose, and that was to pray together and wait upon Him. We are told expressly that they were continuing “in prayer and supplication.” Here, again, we should mark the original Greek. The expression denotes that prayer was a continued and habitual practice at the inception of the church. Their one agenda was to seek The Lord and His face. That was the priority then, and that is to be our priority until Jesus returns.
