Acts 1:9-14
These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”
So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place:
Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas, son of James.
They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
There are certain situations in life where people must gather behind closed doors to make decisions. Some that come to mind are “executive sessions” of school boards, quorum courts, and meetings of business or government leaders about sensitive issues. For reasons of privacy and security/safety, staff meetings – or patient consults with a medical team – are often closed to all except those who have an immediate and vested interest. Certain settings and circumstances require a small, rather exclusive group of individuals to gather and make decisions or perform tasks. A NASCAR pit crew would not be the proper place for average citizens to converge – any more than “regular folks” would be allowed to enter a surgery suite as casual observers. In situations such as these, it is obvious that the general public should not be invited to attend – much less participate!
In the realm of Christian believers, everyone is welcome and included. All are invited to come to the table…to work together to serve the LORD…and to lift their voices and petitions in prayer. Men, women, children…people of all races, creeds and colors…all are welcome. There are no limits on who can pray. God does not qualify whose voices will catch His ear. The prayers of an LGBQ man or woman, people of differing political parties, young and old, rich and poor, sick and well are heard and addressed in identical measure. Prayer is God’s great equalizer.
As I read this passage from Acts 1, I could picture the Disciples after Jesus ascended into Heaven. I could see them standing around holding up their hands and asking each other, “Now what?! Where do we go…how do we proceed?” I could see the angels appear and remind the Disciples of Jesus’ commands and promises. I could hear them essentially tell the men to go and get busy telling others about Jesus! And I could imagine the looks on their faces as they realized that the first step was to gather and pray. This is my message from today’s scripture passage…“When you don’t know what to do next, stop and pray.”
Prayer is always the answer. I am reminded over and again that there are so many things in this life that I cannot fix…but God can, and He will. I just have to ask Him – and trust His answers and timing. If you are in a situation today where you don’t know what to do or how to proceed, stop and pray. Ask God to work in your situation and circumstances – and to give you peace as you step aside and let Him do the heavy lifting. Trust God’s answers and process. Believe that He has your very best interests at heart. Listen for His guidance – and move boldly and confidently as He directs.
In John 14:13, Jesus promises that…“Whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it.” No “executive session” is required…there are no limits to who can pray – or where or for how long prayers can be offered. God hears every petition offered to Him. Hallelujah! It’s time for us to stop and pray!
©2021 Debbie Robus
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