Disciples Gathered and Prayer Overflowed
David W Palmer
(Acts 1:12–14 NKJV) Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet … {13} And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. {14} These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
Jesus had just finished finalising his apostle’s commission and declared to them his promise of Holy Spirit power before ascending into his new role at Father’s right hand. (This of course doesn’t mean that he doesn’t still appear on earth as needed.) As “Head of the Church,” Jesus directs the church. He leads through his word, the Holy Spirit, angels and anointed leaders. So, where his body is obediently following his will, commission, daily directives, walking in the spirit, and living by faith, we see Jesus in action—building his church and subduing the universe.
After Jesus’s ascension and another promise from God’s angels about the Lord’s return, the apostles returned to Jerusalem. Quite a lot of them were staying together in an “upper room.” Several others—including Jesus’ physical mother and his [half] brothers—joined them in prayer.
(Luke 24:49 AMP) “Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.”
(Acts 1:8 NKJV) “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus had clearly promised them that they would be clothed with Holy Spirit power from on high; yet they still drew near to God in prayer:
(Acts 1:14 NKJV) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
We see from this that even when you have received a covenant-backed promise from the God who cannot lie, you still need to pray. Prayer is not like pulling teeth; prayer is enjoyable fellowship and interaction with the One who is pure love. That’s why his word tells us to “delight” ourselves in the Lord:
(Psalm 37:4 NKJV) Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Perhaps the apostles didn’t force themselves into prayer, or do it out of a sense of duty; maybe they just did it automatically as a natural consequence of having had such overawing encounters with the resurrected Lord Jesus. His majesty and authority had impacted them, and his amazing grace empowered them to overflowing gratitude, prayer, praise, etc.
When our whole band received salvation and we had a life-changing encounter with Jesus, his salvation, and his love, prayer was the overflow. Immediately, several band members and road crew moved into our house so we could be together. It wasn’t an upper room, but the feeling was the same.
The whole house gathered each morning and evening and simply began praying. We didn’t have to work it up, force ourselves into it, or manipulate ourselves through a sense of religious sacrifice or duty. It was automatic; we simply spoke to God like he was in the room. Praying to him was what we wanted to do, and we enjoyed it. In prayer, we opened our hearts declaring our devotion, our willingness to obey whatever he wanted, and we asked for the salvation of everyone we knew. We wanted them to discover what we had found—or should I say, to have God reveal himself to them as he had to us.
At that stage, we didn’t contemplate the theology of prayer, we simply spoke to our Lord as we would a new friend. Our lives had changed; and we have never looked back. God has answered, guided, and provided ever since. And we are still overflowing to others about God’s
