Acts 1:14; They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
After Jesus’ ascension the disciples of Jesus returned to Jerusalem as Jesus commanded. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. There were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus, Simon and Judas along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. What did they do all together? Were they hiding together in fear? No, According to verse 14, they all joined together constantly in prayer. This is something that we have never seen from the disciples before. This time was important in Christian history. It was the beginning of new era after Jesus death and resurrection. It was time for the Holy Spirit to take over the work of God through Jesus disciples. In this crucial time they did what exactly God wanted them to do. They were all united in prayer. I want to think about the reason why they had to pray together.
First, the disciples absolutely had no power to carry the world mission command. The disciples realized that they could not do anything without the help of God. World mission sounds very good, but in reality it is never an easy job to complete. It is because their battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the power authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. No matter how the disciples were well prepared they could not evangelize even one person without the help of God. Those who realize this kneel down before God.
The second reason is that the prayer is the key to a powerful Christian life. Jesus said in Mt 21:22; If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. Recently I read interesting Christian book, the author of book, Pastor Jack compared the power of prayer to the engine of a car. There is very little power in the key that fits our car, but the powerful engine does not come to life without my little key being put into the ignition. In other words, I don’t have the power to go outside and get myself 60 miles an hour, but I have a legal access to a resource that can get me moving at that speed. The key is tiny and not powerful in itself, but it releases the power of the engine. Our prayer looks like nothing and insignificant, or good only for maintaining peace in our mind like meditation. But our prayer is the legal access to the power of God. Our prayer releases the power of almighty God. God gave us authority to access his power. He gave us this free not because it is cheap. Actually it cost the blood of his one and only Son. Through the blood of Jesus we became children of God who can ask God, the father for anything. Since we are a chosen people, I believe that all of you have this key, where is your key? Do you keep it ready to use, or have you forgotten where it is? It was just right time for the disciples to the most powerful weapon in the world. This is the reason why the disciples prayed and we should pray.
Third, the power of united prayer. When we look at the verse 14, we realize that the disciples formed the beautiful early church under the command of Jesus. They made a spiritual vessel, which God could use, in his spiritual warfare for world salvation work. However in the past Jesus disciples were different. They argued with each other. You know why they were so. They had unsolved agenda, it is “who is the greatest and the first?. In other words, I am greater than any other disciple and I am going to prove it. Is this important to you? Maybe this is very important to all humans. There was severe competition among the disciples to be greater than the other disciple. One day James and John, even involved their mother for them, their mother asked Jesus “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom. When the other ten heard this, they were indignant with two brothers. I do not know whether they actually punched each other in the absence of Jesus or not. The atmosphere was very politically charged. Whenever this problem arose, Jesus taught them about who is truly the greatest in Jesus kingdom saying “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all”. Jesus even washed his disciples’ feet and earnestly ask them to wash one another’s feet as Jesus did. Through the love and teaching of Jesus, they became united in prayer not just one time but constantly under the promise of Holy Spirit and with the world mission command. United disciples in prayer formed a spiritual vessel; this is a very important step in the work of God. Because the Holy Spirit could dwell in this vessel of united prayer. Though each of them had problems and they were not great. The Holy Spirit used them mightily in the world salvation work through their united prayer.
Personally I do not believe that disciples can be raised by one great 1:1 bible teacher alone in the UBF ministry. It is not a one-man show or it is not by the building or organization or the tradition that one can raise up disciples. Rather it is the spiritual vessel, coworkers who are strongly united in prayer under the world mission command of Jesus that can raise up disciples. Let’s say some one struggles to be better than any of others, and one part of the vessel may become very good. What if other parts of the vessel have a lot of holes with many problems, wounds and sins? There is no separate I and me once I was chosen by God. We are all one body of Jesus. However in the spiritual reality we are not much different from Jesus’ disciples. By nature we want to compete and show that I am better and greater than others, or we become easily jealous and indignant if we see others more fruitful than us rather than supporting others to make strong spiritual vessel through prayer. But we must remember that we are a chosen people, we did not choose, God chose us though we are undeserved sinners. God chose each of us to pray together for world mission command. When missionary Samuel Lee suggested surprising prayer topic “pioneer Russia” many UBF coworkers did not laugh at this prayer topic, rather we prayed together constantly for Russia. God listened our prayer and destroyed the walls of communism. Since I came to USA, there has been one constant prayer topic “206 east coast campus pioneering work. This prayer topic never disappeared in the heart of our coworkers and every summer we get together and pray for campus mission. Even though God took our best coworker Dr. Daniel Hong, we still get together in prayer, especially Lehigh coworkers made a stronger vessel, because we believe that God always answers united prayer of chosen people. May God bless each of us to be united in prayer for world mission. Let’s pray.
Lord thank for choosing me to a part of one body and spiritual vessel for World salvation ministry. Lord please transform my selfish inner being into the chosen people and be united in prayer.