Shavuot | An Upper Room Experience Part 2

In our recent blog about an upper room experience, you discovered the connection between Pentecost and Shavuot, and the beauty and power of personal and corporate encounters with the Holy Spirit.

As we unpack the upper room story further, we’ll discover…

• The power of corporate prayer 
• What it means to pray “with one accord” 
• The Holy Spirit’s refining fire
• How God is restoring the Acts church

An Upper Room Experience in Acts  

The upper room experience in Acts is one of power and corporate prayer, and the fire of the Holy Spirit ignited both. As the Body of Messiah, especially in this hour, we must humbly seek corporate prayer in unity and agreement to receive the power to become the end-time army we are called to be.

Yeshua’s Bride was born and empowered during an upper room experience. This authority is part of our inheritance and destiny…

• “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will… that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” —Ephesians 1:11, 17-19 (emphasis added)

Key Takeaway…

Jesus told the disciples to expect the indwelling and baptism of the Holy Spirit. With this power, they could move forward into new seasons, new beginnings, and new places. Without Him, they were ill-equipped to fulfill their Kingdom purpose. 

What Happened to the Acts Church? 

Most Believers long for revival. We reference Acts 2 as an example of the empowerment we desire to walk in. So why does the modern Church today look so different from her origins?

It’s important to realize that the disciples who received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 were Jewish Believers. The Holy Spirit didn’t fall corporately on Believers from the nations until Acts 10, when God called Peter to visit Cornelius. This reminds us how key the Jewish people are to our faith. 

For the Acts church, One New Man was alive and well. Jewish and Gentile Believers worked side by side, bound together in the love of Messiah Yeshua, unified in truth, and operating in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Yet today, due to the impact of tragic Church history (learn more about the Council of Nicaea) and the poison of replacement theology (the idea that the Church replaced Israel), we have been disconnected from our Jewish roots and tolerated antisemitism within our walls. 

This has grieved the Holy Spirit, causing a departing rather than an imparting of fresh fire needed for revival in many houses of worship. The spirit of religion and other impostors have come to fill the gap.

But God is bridging this gap and restoring His Bride to her glory—Jews and Gentiles united in Yeshua and empowered by His Holy Spirit! 

As you continue reading about the power of the Acts church, pray in agreement with Jesus for…

• Freedom from the spirit of religion in the Church today
• Acknowledgement and repentance of antisemitism and replacement theology 
• Jewish people to come to know Yeshua as their Messiah, and Believers to come to know their Jewish heritage 
• The “life from the dead” Romans 11 speaks of–Israel returning to their Messiah, causing revival in the nations. 

We need a holy homecoming to our heritage, covenant identity, and true prophetic understanding. Operating as One New Man, Jewish and Gentile Believers united in Yeshua, is key to the corporate Holy Spirit empowerment we long to return to. 

The restoration starts with confession and fervent prayer (James 5:16). Let’s discover more about the significance of prayer in the upper room…

An Upper Room Experience and Corporate Prayer 

The followers of Jesus were assembled together, unified in truth and praying together as they anticipated the Promise.

• “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” —Acts 1:4-5 (emphasis added) 

Holy Spirit Refinement and Praying With One Accord… 

Acts 1:14 reads that the followers “continued with one accord in prayer.”  What does that mean? 

It means they were in unity, in agreement with each other and God’s Word, meditating on and decreeing God’s promises. 

They understood the need for God’s refining fire to cleanse and purify them so that they could move forward with the purpose they had been given–taking the gospel to the nations.

• “‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” —Matthew 28:19-20 (emphasis added)

To fulfill this vital mission, they needed the authority, infilling, and empowerment of the Spirit of God within them. The fire of the Holy Spirit does not destroy, but refines and purifies us into pure vessels for our Kingdom assignment. 

As those gathered in the upper room stood united in truth and prayer together, God met them and provided everything they needed in ways beyond what they could have ever imagined.

The Power of Personal Prayer

Corporate prayer is powerful and needed, and so is personal prayer, just between you and the Father.

Jesus modeled this in His earthly life. He started His days in the stillness of the morning, spending time with His Father in the secret place. This intimacy fueled His ministry.

• “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, ‘Everyone is looking for You.’  But He said to them, ‘Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.’” —Mark 1:35-38 (emphasis added)

Key Takeaway…

Corporate prayer and personal prayer are two powerful spiritual disciplines working for the same purpose. 

How Did the First Believers Pray?  

As Believers, we can glean knowledge, understanding, and application from the upper room experiences recorded in God’s Word. This experience was not a one-and-done event. The power and blessings released with signs and wonders done by the Holy Spirit to accomplish God’s will are woven throughout the Bible.  

And it is still happening today! Let us actively engage in corporate prayer, returning to our covenant relationship with our Father and Jewish heritage, and anticipate God’s power.  

Acts 1:15 says approximately 120 people were present in the upper room. Men and women joined together in prayer as heaven came to earth. 

Pray Without Ceasing 

The first Believers in the Messiah gathered and prayed constantly. Even after receiving the Holy Spirit at Shavuot, they continued in corporate prayer.  

• “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.” —Acts 12:5 (emphasis added) 

Their prayers were in agreement and steadfast. The power of the Holy Spirit did not run out after they departed from the upper room. In fact, the Holy Spirit kept them united and persevering in bold prayer.  

• “So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them… the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word… that signs and wonders may be done through the name of… Jesus.’” —Acts 4:24, 27-30 (emphasis added) 

Key Takeaway…

There was powerful, Holy Spirit-filled agreement in the upper room. They lifted their voices, praising God and recognizing His power, and boldly asked for what they needed. 

Refining Fire

Prepare your heart to receive power and join others in agreement this Shavuot. God is restoring the Acts church as we return to our Jewish heritage, love for Israel, and covenant understanding of our relationship with the Father.

It is time for the refining fire of the Holy Spirit to cleanse and reinstate you in your true Kingdom identity and authority, with others, as One New Man. 

Let’s be aligned with Heaven and filled with truth, leading others to Jesus Messiah and the nations back to the one true God!