With One Accord in One Place. Armin Gesswein

did Jesus build every member of the Jerusalem congregation into the prayer meeting? The blueprint ties this action in with His Great Commission. He at once made prayer a total assembly action. But though the blueprint (The Acts) makes things so plain, we appear not to have seen it. Or else we do not know how to read it. Or have ignored it. Today we have a double standard for our members. We have prayer meeting members and another kind.

      The Jerusalem congregation was not like this. All of them turned full circle from the Mount of Olives and headed right back to Jerusalem to form the first New Testament church prayer meeting in that upper room. Why? The blueprint makes it very plain: because Jesus commanded it! (See Acts 1:2, 4, 12-14.) He “charged” them (a military term of command), and they went.

      They obeyed because they loved Jesus. He had said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments [plural].” And this was one of His commandments, one of the commissions of the Great Commission. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me,” Jesus said. Obedience quickens our pace to the prayer meeting. And it is the test of our love. I cannot say I love Jesus if I do not love His prayer meeting!