United In Prayer — Acts 1:12–14 | Good News Unlimited
United in Prayer — Acts 1:12–14
Sep 15, 2026 25877
What brings people with different stories, personalities and failures together? In Acts 1, we find Jesus’ followers united in prayer. The risen Jesus has brought them together, and their eyes are on him.
Acts 1:12–14
[12] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. [13] And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. [14] All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (ESV)
Different Stories, One Saviour
Think about the people Luke names. There’s a tax collector and a zealot. There are fishermen. There’s Thomas, who struggled to believe the others had seen Jesus alive. There’s Peter, who denied even knowing him.
These men had argued about who would be greatest. They had all sorts of reasons to clash. Their life together had not been smooth sailing.
Alongside them are the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. The same brothers who had thought Jesus was out of his mind are now among those who believe in him.
And what does Luke say? They are of “one accord”.
They share a common purpose. Jesus has brought them together, and they are looking to him, trusting his promise that the Holy Spirit will come.
Different stories, different hardships, different sins, one Saviour.
[Watch this week’s video devotion with Dave Miers]
United in Prayer
Their unity finds expression in prayer. Together, they bring their needs to God. Together, they acknowledge that they cannot carry out Jesus’ mission in their own strength.
United prayer remains central to the life believers share today. We pray by ourselves, at the traffic lights, on the way into a meeting, or after a tricky conversation. But we also gather to pray, bringing our concerns to God with one mind and one purpose.
We need him. And we need to keep expressing that dependence together.
The Good News is…
Jesus is alive, and he has sent his Spirit to empower ordinary disciples like us to take his good news to the world. We cannot do this in our own strength. The disciples depended on him together, and so do we. Let’s be a people united in prayer, asking God to work among us and draw others to himself as they hear and believe the gospel of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
Reflection
Ask God to help you grow in your commitment to praying with other believers, depending on him together as you share the hope of Jesus.
Rev. Dave Miers
President, Good News Unlimited
