They stood at the threshold of a new era, one that would demand their faithfulness and endurance. Before Jesus ascended back to his Father in heaven, he gave some instructions to his apostles: And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:4-5, NKJV). They later gathered together in an upper room (Acts 1:13), perhaps the same room in which they had kept the Passover with Jesus a few weeks earlier. After ten days, their mission to preach the gospel began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). What did the apostles do during the time between Jesus' ascension and the day of Pentecost? Scripture tells us two things in particular: they cast lots for the man to take Judas' place as an apostle (Acts 1:15-26), and they continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:14).
Their world was about to be changed. How much they understood what was before them, I do not know. Perhaps they were pondering some of the last words that Jesus spoke to them on the night of his betrayal, in which he said: Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake because they do not know Him who sent Me (John 15:20-21). Jesus further told them that it wouldn't stop at persecution. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me (John 16:2-3). Perhaps they may have been thinking about the great and noble responsibility with which the Lord tasked them: And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:15-16). Whatever they may have been thinking, I'm sure it weighed heavily on them. What better thing could they have done than to continue in prayer? Would you say the time they spent in prayer was profitable? I believe we know the answer for we are still reading about them two thousand years later.
Therefore, we can and should follow their example, for we need endurance too (Matthew 10:22; Hebrews 10:36). Do you earnestly pray to God every day and ask him to work in your life and in the lives of others? Think of the benefits of doing such: peace of mind (Philippians 4:6); boldness (Acts 4:31), a determination to do God's will (Matthew 26:39,42); forgiveness of sins (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9); the knowledge that your requests have been heard by Almighty God and that He cares (1 Peter 3:12; 5:7), the power to overcome temptation (Matthew 26:41), and wisdom from above (James 1:5) just to name a few. Contemplate the words from the old hymn: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear; all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer." Whatever may be weighing on you today, pray to your heavenly Father about it. He wants you to do so, as Peter wrote, Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
Brotherly, Jamie
