ON THE VANGUARD

UNISON IN PRAYER
“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”
Acts 2:1

I want to bring our attention again to prayer. Recently, I brought our attention to Matthew 18:19-20, where Jesus says, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” In using the Greek, I found that the word ‘agree’ here was the word SUMPHONEO, which means all together. It is from this word that we have the word symphony or concert. When we come together in agreement on earth, believing in God and praying His ways, then we are in symphony with Him. But I want to go one step further with this thought today and look at this symphony in motion, and how it further still relates to our own prayers.
I bring you to the text of Acts 2:1. To set the stage, Jesus had already been crucified and resurrected. Within the forty days that followed, Christ made Himself evident with many convincing proofs until He ascended into heaven. His last command to the disciples, however, was to stay in Jerusalem and await the gift the Father promised, that of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). In the ten days that followed Jesus’ ascension, the disciples waited in prayer in the Upper Room for the gift they had been reminded of. And then, on Pentecost, the gift was given.
This verse is so rich and I have so much I could share, but I will work to be brief. In the King James Version, the verse reads, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come…” In regards to prayer I want to first point out that it doesn’t always bring results on our timing. These men prayed for ten days before the time had fully come. If we recall in the book of Daniel, Daniel prayed for understanding. His answer was not given right away, but rather was answered twenty-one days later (Dan 10:13). This goes back to the idea I shared yesterday that we cannot come to God only with a shopping list. It also goes to prove that we have become so fast-food service oriented that we expect to have what we want now. It was not until the time had fully come that the Spirit fell.
The last point I want to make, though, is based on the second portion of this scripture. “…they were all together in one place.” The word ‘together’ is the Greek word HOMOTHUMADON. The meaning is quite simple. It means to be with one mind, in one accord, with one passion. Literally it is the compound of two words meaning to ‘rush along’ and ‘in unison’. To put it in musical terms to match our symphony, this is where the Holy Spirit blends together the voices and lives of the members within the choir. This illustration is how I want my prayer to be. I want to find myself praying in one accord with the will and desires of God. I know that I could easily become a solo artist in prayer, but in so doing I also know that I would never sell one album. Therefore I am determined to pray to Him concerning His will. It is true that I want to join with others and pray in SUMPHONEO, but I want the prayers that I am joining up with others in to be prayers that are in HOMOTHUMADON to His will.