Is Your Church In Need Of An Upper Room Prayer Meeting?

We know the account of the events that led up to and happened the day of Pentecost very well, but have we taken the time to think about what and how they prayed as group. They heard what Jesus had told they as He ascended into Heaven, that the Promise of God was coming. That the Spirit would come and be in them. They had heard from two men that this Jesus would return in like manner. This was a lot to take in. It could have been overwhelming to say the least.

This is the Church just before her birth. They were uncertain, curious, and feeling helpless at this point. Does this describe many churches today? Does this describe your church’s situation at this present moment? Has your church lost its direction and purpose for being? I think if we look at the upper room experience then we can apply these principles to our church. How did they spent their time? 

They all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. Observe that,

1.      They prayed, and made supplication.  All God's people are praying people, and give themselves to prayer. Often churches that find that they are in need of revitalization discover that some how in some form the prayer life has suffered lack in concern for others and the concern of lost souls. They turn their prayer life inward, upon themselves.

The disciples found themselves in a time of trouble and danger for the disciples of Christ; they were as sheep in the midst of wolves; and, Is any afflicted? Let him pray; this will silence cares and fears. It was troubling times for them and they were uncertain about their future. Churches today live in times of trouble from the culture we are in today but also in times of trouble within their walls. Struggling attendance of faithful believers, finance uncertainty, waning ministry, and disappearance of young families and youth.

 They had new work before them, great work, and, before they entered upon it, they were instant in prayer to God for his presence with them in it. We can take the lesson here for the reliance and dependence on God for our strength and courage. Before they were first sent forth Christ spent time in prayer for them, and now they spent time in prayer for themselves. They were waiting for the descent of the Spirit upon them, and therefore abounded thus in prayer. The Spirit descended upon our Savior when he was praying, Luke 3:21.

 Those are in the best position to receive spiritual blessings that are in a praying position. Today we are in need of a posture of prayer in our churches and our personal lives as well. Christ had promised now shortly to send the Holy Ghost; now this promise was not to supersede prayer, but to quicken and encourage it. God will be requested of for promised mercies, and the nearer the action seems to be the more earnest we should be in prayer for it. Let us be focusing on the prayer life of our church and driving ourselves with intentional and purposeful prayer that moves Heaven.

Another quality that the upper room participants demonstrated was:

 2.      They continued in prayer, spent much time in it, more than ordinary, prayed frequently, and were long in prayer. They never missed an hour of prayer; they resolved to persevere till the Holy Ghost came, according to the promise, to pray, and not to faint. It is said (Luke 24:53), They were praising and blessing God; here, They continued in prayer and supplication; for as praise for the promise is a decent way of begging for the performance, and praise for former mercy of begging further mercy, so, in seeking to God, we give him the glory of the mercy and grace which we have found in him.

Prayer in our struggling churches need to turn up the flame of passion and desire for meaningful, heart sincere longing for God to move in their mist. Showing how His hand is to guide them forward.

The other thing that we can observe from this devotion of prayer is:

3.      They did this with one accord. Luke uses the adverb “one accord” 10 times in the book of Acts.

It occurs nowhere else in the New Testament except for in Romans 15-6. The word comes from homos which means same, thymos which means mind or spirit and so it means with the same mind or spirit. This means that they were together in holy love, and that there was no quarrel nor discord among them; and those who so keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace are best prepared to receive the comforts of the Holy Ghost. 

 Division is one of the greatest enemies of any church. If satan can get a wedge of division in the church members then he is well on the way to disrupting and defeating its members. The members of the Lords family might have claimed special recognition, or Peter could have been criticized for his cowardly denial of the Savior. Or perhaps Peter might have blamed John because John had brought him into the high priest house (John 18:15-16). John might well have reminded the others that he had faithfully stood at the cross and had even been chosen by the Savior to care for the Lord's mother. John could have claimed special preference by Jesus because he was the one Jesus loved. But none of this happened. In fact, no one was even arguing over who among them was the greatest.

It also means their worthy agreement in the supplications and prayer that were made; although but one spoke, they all prayed, and if, when two agree to ask, it shall be done for them, much more when many agree in the same petition. See Matthew 18:19.

The key phrase of this passage is, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” We see here a wonderful unity that bound them together in Christ. It has been said that prayer is both the thermometer and the thermostat of the local church. The “spiritual temperature” either goes up or down, depending on how much God’s people pray.

 Let our church, and its members, take a serious and honest look at our prayer life or the lack of it. May we have the same mind and heart that the participants in the upper room have also. Let us look at these key elements that the early church had so that we too can have the same power and anointing in our congregational and missional service that God has called us into for our community. If your church is need of revitalization then take heed to the practice of the disciples.

In verse 14 preparation for Pentecost is suggested. Disciples continued in prayer and supplication,

1.      Until their spirits blended, with one accord in prayer.

2.      Until their longing became dominant desire, prayer and supplication.

3.      Until their consecration deepened to full and final commitment to the will of God.

4.      Until their faith rose to the pitch of expectancy for an immediate fulfillment of the promise.

Pastor Rob Beckett, Shepherdsville Nazarene Church

Restoring “The Image of God” to the broken and hurting.