All
these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 1:14
Acts 1 [9.] When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
Acts 1 [12.] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they had come in, they went up into the upper room, where they were staying; that is Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 1 [15.] In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty),
Meaning:
Acts 1:14 gives a snapshot of the first believers in the days between Jesus’ ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The apostles, the women who had followed Jesus, His mother Mary and His brothers are gathered together in prayer. The verse shows a community waiting on God, and it quietly records the remarkable change in Jesus’ own family.
- Waiting in Jerusalem:
After Jesus was taken up into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the disciples walked back to Jerusalem, “a Sabbath day’s journey away,” a distance of a little under a kilometre that Jewish teachers allowed on the Sabbath. They gathered in an upper room, probably in a large private house. They were obeying Jesus’ command to stay in the city until the promised Spirit came: “wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5).
- With One Accord in Prayer:
“All these with one accord continued steadfastly in prayer and supplication”: “With one accord” is a favourite expression in Acts, describing hearts and minds united in purpose. The disciples who had once argued about who was greatest now prayed together. They “continued steadfastly,” persevering day after day. The same devotion marked the church after Pentecost, when believers “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer” (Acts 2:42).
Their waiting was active, not idle. Jesus had taught that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13), and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost came to a praying church.
- The Women and Mary the Mother of Jesus:
Luke had earlier described women who travelled with Jesus and supported His ministry from their own resources (Luke 8:1-3). These women stayed near the cross and were the first witnesses of the empty tomb. Now they are named among the praying believers, an important sign of their place in the church.
This is the last time Mary the mother of Jesus is mentioned in the Bible. Jesus had entrusted her to the beloved disciple from the cross (John 19:26-27). Here she is not set apart but prays alongside the other disciples as one who, like them, trusts in her risen Son.
- And with His Brothers:
During His ministry Jesus’ brothers had not believed in Him (John 7:5), and at one point His family thought He was out of His mind (Mark 3:20-22). Now they are among His followers. The risen Lord appeared to James, and James soon became a leading figure in the Jerusalem church; when Peter escaped from prison he said, “Tell these things to James, and to the brothers” (Acts 12:17). The family who once stood outside now belonged to the family of those who do God’s will (Mark 3:33-35).
The Significance of Acts 1:14 for Believers
- The Power of United Prayer:
The church was born in a prayer meeting. Believers today are called to pray together with one heart, persevering in prayer and waiting on God to work by His Spirit.
- God Changes Hearts and Families:
The presence of Jesus’ brothers in this prayer meeting is a powerful encouragement. Those who once doubted Jesus came to worship Him. No one is beyond the reach of God’s grace, so we keep praying for those we love.
Cross-References:
John 7:5: "For even his brothers didn’t believe in him." The earlier unbelief that makes Acts 1:14 so remarkable.
Luke 24:49: "Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high." Jesus’ command to wait for the Spirit.
Acts 2:42: "They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer." The same steadfast devotion continued after Pentecost.
Mark 3:35: "For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother." Jesus’ true family is made up of those who do God’s will.
Conclusion: Acts 1:14 shows the first believers united in persistent prayer as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit. The apostles, the faithful women, Mary the mother of Jesus and His once-doubting brothers are all together, one family in Christ. The verse calls us to devoted, united prayer and gives hope that God can bring our own loved ones to faith.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible