Acts 1:1-14
Jesus Ascends to Heaven
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
The Disciples Pray After Jesus Ascension
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 2:42-47
Fellowship of Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 3:1-10
Peter and John Pray at the Temple
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Acts 4:23-31
The Believer's Pray
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26
The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.’
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Acts 6:1-4
The Choosing of the Seven
1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
Acts 7:54-60
The Stoning of Stephen
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
The Disciples teach us something about prayer in our lives in the Book of Acts...In the first few chapters we learn so much about the prayer habits of the Disciples, who were now on their own without their Master...
Jesus had returned to earth after His death for a period of forty days...During these forty days He spoke and gave His Disciples convincing evidence that He was somehow still alive...And He gave them instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen...And during these forty days, He began to teach His Disciples until the day He was taken up to heaven...Then right after the Disciples watched Jesus ascend to heaven on the Mount of Olives, the Disciples returned to Jerusalem...The Disciples promptly went upstairs to the room where they were staying in Jerusalem....Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James...They all joined together and were constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers...Jesus was now gone, and back in His proper place in Heaven...The Disciples had been with Jesus for three years and they promptly went to pray and were constantly in prayer after He left them...His original Disciples, felt like they needed constant prayer...God did not need to be praying, and Jesus did not need to be praying...But God and Jesus wants us to pray...The Disciples realized they needed their prayers and for God and Jesus to be listening to them...They had watched Jesus pray...They had learned much from Jesus about prayer...They knew that they needed God's guidance in whatever they did after their Teacher ascended into heaven and now was physically away from them...
And as Luke tells us they were in constantly in prayer...Their prayers continued in the next chapter as they went out and devoted themselves to teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer....And in the next chapter, one day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three o'clock in the afternoon...A crippled man was at the temple and Peter healed this lame man...The two got in trouble with the Sanhedrin for healing this man, and for the commotion it made...So they had to report to the chief priests and the elders...By the grace of God the two were released, and when their friends and believer's heard about their release they raised their voices together in prayer to God and prayed...“Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them...You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?...The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against His Anointed One.’...Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your Holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed...They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen...Now, LORD, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak Your word with great boldness...Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your Holy Servant Jesus.”...
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken...God was with them...God had heard their prayer...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly...And when they were choosing the seven to delegate one of their responsibilities over to seven, the Disciples said they were doing this so they could give more attention to prayer and to the ministry of the word...
And in the sad and brutal stoning of Stephen, we see that he prayed these words to Jesus, “LORD Jesus, receive my Spirit.”...Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “LORD, do not hold this sin against them.”...When he had said this, he fell asleep...
The prayers of the Disciples and believers in Acts show us that they wanted God in their lives...They wanted His assistance, His help, and in Stephen's case, His comfort of Spirit...These people of prayer wanted God in their lives, and invited Him in through their prayers...And He was there with them, although some were arrested and with Stephen at the time of his death...And we learn in these different prayers that God wants us to pray...And God was with them, and His wisdom help guide them throughout the times -after Jesus had left them...