Waiting can be difficult. We mark off each day on the calendar. Sometimes it may feel as if we will never experience the event or receive the gift we are waiting for. We may grow anxious or impatient as we wait, because waiting is never easy.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been studying the opening chapters of Acts. The first verses tell us that Jesus gave His disciples specific instructions. He told them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Father’s gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5).
The disciples and women, including Mary, Jesus’ mother, gathered and spent time in prayer (Acts 1:14). Many of them had witnessed the brutality of His arrest, the false trials, and His crucifixion. Now they waited for the promised Helper (John 14:26).
Then the waiting ended. On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit came, just as Jesus had promised, and three thousand people were added to their number in a single day (Acts 2:1-4, 41). What follows in Luke’s account shows what the gift produced — not a private experience but a shared life.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer … 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42, 46-47 (NIV)
Joined Together in Prayer
Luke uses the word devoted, which adds intensity to this spiritual discipline. Everyone had work and household responsibilities, yet they chose to meet together. When the believers met, they had a common purpose. They listened to the apostles’ teaching and spent much time praying together.
Prayer had been their practice in the upper room as they waited, and they continued it after the Holy Spirit was given. It seems we pray hardest while we are waiting, but we lose some of our fervor once God has answered. Prayer remained a regular part of their time together.
Fellowship with Believers
The disciples went to the temple courts to teach and share the message of Jesus’ resurrection (Acts 3:11-26). They taught in a public setting where others could see and hear them. They extended the invitation to believe to everyone.
But Jesus’ followers gathered, shared meals, and enjoyed spiritual fellowship in their homes. They met around ordinary tables, in ordinary rooms, with whatever was in the kitchen that day.
My years in ministry have taught me the value of hospitality. It doesn’t have to be fancy. When it’s simple, people relax and stay long enough for the conversation to become genuine. When Luke describes the early church’s practices, he emphasizes fellowship at the table.
Praising God
Luke gives us two words for their hearts: glad and sincere. Glad because their lives had been changed. Each was a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17). They were sincere in their devotion to God and in their love for others.
Their hearts were open to the Lord’s redemptive work. Praise flowed freely from their lips as they gathered. They had received much from the Lord’s hand.
The psalmist knew this kind of praise:
I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together.
Psalm 34:1-3 (NIV)
Friends, these verses invite us to exalt the Lord’s name together. Praise is meant to be a shared work.
The Lord Added More Believers
The church grew. Notice Luke’s wording: “The Lord added to their number.” The disciples were faithful in ordinary things, including teaching, prayer, shared meals, and praise. God increased the number of disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 6:7).
These believers enjoyed the favor of the people around them. The community, eating together with glad and sincere hearts, was visible from the outside, attractive, and inviting to others. Others were drawn into the gathering of believers before a word was spoken.
Head to Heart
We can learn much from these new believers in Jerusalem. Let’s consider how to practice these truths today.
Set one table this week.
Not a dinner party, just a simple table. Invite one person or family who would not otherwise be in your kitchen: someone newly widowed, someone new to your neighborhood, or someone you have been meaning to call for months. It does not need to be elaborate or impressive. The early church began with soup and bread.
Praise out loud with someone else.
Read Psalm 34:1-3 aloud with your husband, a friend, or a grandchild, then name one thing God has done recently. Gratitude kept private remains a thought. Gratitude spoken becomes praise.
Friends, the disciples waited in the upper room. They shared fellowship, devoted time to prayer, and enjoyed meals together. Whatever you are waiting for today, seek out fellow believers to join you.