United Praying

(Today’s audio reading on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0bIDbtCG2uoTPFkodySbvz)

They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. (Acts 1:14)

The ones who had witnessed his sky-ward departure must have been asked to share at this prayer meeting referenced in our text, describing for the rest what they saw. I wonder if anyone who wasn’t at the ascension challenged their story…or at least thought that they were making this up? The same author, Luke, described in his Gospel account in 24:11 that the report of the women who found the empty tomb “sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it.” Is this another one of those “nonsense moments”, and it had to be dealt with before they went to united prayer?

Interestingly, there doesn’t appear to be any Old Testament prophecy about his ascension. Jesus himself said that they would see him on the clouds of heaven coming back…but that was to be later. My point is that the prayer meeting was not fueled by a hoped-for fulfillment of prophecy. He simply just departed and went up out of sight after 40 days of being with them.

So, I wonder, what was the main prayer request?

Was it, “Pray he’ll come back soon”? Or, what about, “Pray we won’t lose heart while we wait for him (no idea when he’s coming back—just an assurance that he is)”?

Did the conversation turn to the ones mentioned in this verse, “Mary, you’re his mother; did he say anything to you?! It would really help us to know…” Or, “Brothers of Jesus, do you have any hints about all of this that will help us to fill in the blanks? We admit we were completely stunned when it happened, and would love to have some assurance…did he tell you that was going to happen? Did he say how long he would be away?” I wonder if they had to calm down a few participants who wanted to bolt out the door and “Do something, I’m not sure what, but don’t you think we should go look for Jesus!?”

We don’t know what the preamble was to the prayer meeting, or the content of it. But we do know they were “constantly united”, joined in one heart and mind. This was no one-off event—they were joined. They were forming a renewed alliance to stay steadfast and stay together. They shared the common bond of being Jesus’ followers, and they needed each other. And speaking of being Jesus’ followers—they had followed him while he was alive, but now that he was gone, what did it mean to continue following him? Come to think of it, he had said he would always be with them—but in what way?

They were talking together, as a group, with the Heavenly Father, and seeking him with their devotion and questions. They needed the Father’s insight, direction, guidance, and assurance that they were indeed in His care. I imagined they listened carefully for either a whisper, a shout from God, or an intervention from him to know how to move forward. So they waited, prayerfully.

“Father, thank you for the model of united prayer by your followers, as they waited on you and sought your direction.”