Waiting and Praying

Introduction

Open your Bibles with me to Acts chapter 1.

We are in week two of our series through the book of Acts titled The Mission Begins. Last week, we looked at the ascension of Jesus and saw how His return to heaven wasn't the end of His ministry—it was the launch of a Spirit-empowered mission through His people. Now, we pick up right where we left off—and what happens next may not be what we’d expect. Instead of jumping into action, the disciples wait—and they pray.

Have you ever faced a moment of uncertainty—when you were unsure of what to do next? Maybe it was after losing a job. Maybe it was a family crisis. Maybe you were simply trying to discern the will of God—unsure if the path ahead was the right one.

I remember a season like that in my own life. For years, I served in worship ministry. I loved what I was doing, but I began to sense a shift—a growing desire, maybe even a calling, to step into the role of senior pastor.

And I’ll be honest with you: I was uncertain. Was this from the Lord or just from me? Was I equipped? Was it the right time? I didn’t have a five-year plan or some audible word from heaven. All I knew was that God seemed to be stirring something in my heart—and I had to learn to walk forward in obedience even when the full picture wasn’t clear.

That’s exactly where the disciples find themselves in Acts 1. Jesus had just spent 40 days preparing them—teaching them about the Kingdom of God, opening their minds to the Scriptures, and promising them power from the Holy Spirit. And then—He ascended into heaven.

His final instruction? “Wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father.”

So what do you do in the in-between—when you know something is coming, but you don’t know exactly what it will look like or how long the wait will be?

That brings us to the big question for today’s message: How do you move forward in life when the path isn’t clear?

Let’s stand together and read Acts 1:12–26.

[READ ACTS 1:12–26]

From this passage, we see three specific ways the disciples responded in faith during their season of uncertainty—and three principles we can live by as well. We must:

1. Obey what Jesus has already made clear. (vv. 12-13)

After Jesus ascends into heaven, the disciples are left standing there—literally staring at the sky. I imagine the mixture of awe, confusion, and maybe even a little fear in that moment. But then, what do they do?

Verse 12 tells us: “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives…” That might seem like a small detail, but it’s loaded with significance. Why? Because that’s exactly what Jesus told them to do.

Luke 24:49 records Jesus’ parting instruction: “Stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” And now they’re doing just that.

They don’t have a timeline. They don’t have a strategy. They don’t know what this promised empowerment is going to feel like or look like.

But they do the one thing they know: they obey.

This is such a simple moment, but it’s so powerful. The disciples aren’t trying to take control. They’re not rushing ahead. They’re not scattering in fear. They’re just walking in obedience—one step at a time.

We often want God to show us the next ten steps… but we haven’t even obeyed the last one He gave us. We say, “God, what’s Your will for my future? What’s the plan for my family?”

But Jesus might be saying, “Let’s talk about what you already know.”

Are you honoring Me in your relationships?

Are you forgiving that person?

Are you being generous like I’ve called you to be?

Are you faithful to gather with your church family?

Are you guarding your heart and mind from sin?

Clarity often comes through obedience. If you’re ignoring conviction, why would God bring more instruction?

Illustration: When our church was wrestling with the decision to move to two services and build the Welcome Center, we prayed about it. Talked about it. I lost sleep over it. We didn’t have a blueprint for how it would all unfold. There were so many unknowns.

But there were also a few things we did know:

God calls us to make space for others.

God calls us to be hospitable.

God calls us to reach the hopeless with gospel hope.

So we moved forward—not because we had every detail figured out, but because we wanted to be obedient to what Jesus had already made clear.

Application: Some of you today are stuck in spiritual neutral, not because God hasn’t spoken—but because you’re ignoring what He’s already said. If Jesus has already made it clear in His Word, you don’t need to keep asking—you need to start obeying.

Maybe today is the day you stop waiting and start walking—in obedience, one faithful step at a time.

2. Pray with Others as You Wait on God (v. 14)

After the disciples obeyed Jesus and returned to Jerusalem, verse 14 tells us what they did next:

“They were all continually united in prayer…” We need to pray with others as we wait on God. 

They didn’t meet in that upper room to strategize their next steps. They didn’t pull out a whiteboard or launch into a planning session. They started praying together. 

Jesus didn’t explicitly tell them, “Go to the upper room and start a prayer meeting.” But they had watched Him long enough to know what to do. They saw how He prayed before major decisions. They saw how prayer preceded power in His life. And now, they follow His example.

They weren’t just individually praying—they were united, praying together as one. Luke makes a point to highlight the diversity of the group: the eleven apostles, some women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’ brothers. Different backgrounds. Different stories. But they were united in one thing: prayerful dependence on God.

ILLUSTRATION

This made me think about a comment one of our elders made a few years ago that has stuck with me. He described how, at times, it felt like people in the church were all rowing in different directions—good hearts, sincere efforts—but everyone pulling their own way. And what we needed, he said, was to start rowing together.

That’s exactly what united prayer accomplishes. Prayer doesn’t just speak to God—it synchronizes us with one another and with His will.

When everyone’s rowing at their own pace and heading, the boat just spins or stalls. But when we’re united—same rhythm, same direction, same goal—real movement happens.

In Acts 1, they weren’t just filling time with prayer—they were syncing their hearts, aligning their direction, and preparing together for what God was about to do.

This is why our discipleship outcomes at First Baptist Malakoff include Believing, Obeying, and Praying. These aren’t just ideas—they’re essentials for spiritual growth. And corporate prayer is one of the clearest ways we live out those values.

If we want to hear from God, we need to seek Him together.

Application:

Are you praying regularly with others?

Are you part of a church body that prays together?

Could it be that the reason you feel stuck, unsure, or spiritually dry is because you’re trying to wait on God alone?

As they prayed together, God didn’t answer with a lightning bolt. But over time, through their unity, Scripture, and mutual discernment, clarity came.

What began in that upper room—this unified, prayer-filled waiting—is the very setting where the Holy Spirit will come in power. The church, in many ways, was born in a prayer meeting. Not a concert. Not a conference. But a group of ordinary believers, gathered in obedience, seeking the Lord together.

That tells us something: God moves through a praying people. Prayer isn’t filler. It’s not the transition between the music and the message. Prayer is the engine of spiritual power. It is the posture of people who know they cannot accomplish the mission of Jesus without the power of Jesus.

And next week, in Acts 2, we’ll see exactly what happens when God answers their prayers. But don’t miss this: the Spirit didn’t come to a scattered crowd of individuals—He came to a unified, praying church. That’s still how God works today.

TRANSITION: God used their obedience and prayer to shape their hearts—and from that place of unity, He led them to take the next step.

3. Discern God’s direction through Scripture, godly counsel, and prayer. (vv 15-26)

So far, we’ve seen the disciples respond to uncertainty with obedience and corporate prayer. But now, in verses 15–26, we see a third movement in their response: discernment.

While they were praying and waiting together, a significant issue surfaced: Judas. One of the original Twelve, the one who betrayed Jesus, was now gone. And Peter, led by the Spirit and grounded in the Word, recognized that something needed to be done.

Verse 16: “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled…”

Peter turns to the Psalms—Psalm 69 and Psalm 109—not just to explain Judas’ failure, but to show how God had already spoken about what was to come. This was not about personal feelings toward Judas. This was about aligning with God’s Word.

And this is key: as they prayed, the Holy Spirit used Scripture to bring clarity. Peter wasn’t making something up—he was applying the Word to the situation at hand. That’s how the Spirit speaks to us today: through the living Word of God, applied to real-life circumstances by a heart in tune with Him.

Then they do something else—they identify two qualified men, Joseph and Matthias, who had walked with Jesus from the beginning. They didn’t pick the most charismatic or the best speaker. They looked for faithfulness and consistency—men who had followed Jesus the whole way.

And once again, they turn to prayer:

“Lord, you know everyone’s hearts; show us which of these two you have chosen…”

They pray, they trust the Lord, and they cast lots—an Old Testament practice that allowed God to reveal His will in a time before the Holy Spirit had indwelt all believers.

And once Matthias is chosen, they move forward in faith.

Let’s be clear—casting lots is not prescriptive for us today. This is the last time we see it in Scripture. Why? Because after Acts 2, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in every believer. From then on, the Church makes decisions through prayer, Scripture, and godly wisdom in community.

Still, what we see here is deeply instructive:

• They didn’t act in isolation.

• They didn’t make decisions based on preference or pressure.

• They listened to the Spirit, through the Word.

• They prayed together.

• They trusted each other.

• And they moved forward with conviction.

Church, this is how discernment works.

So here’s the question: are you walking in community in such a way that others can help you discern?

Are you letting Scripture guide your next steps—or just your feelings?

Are you bringing your decisions before others who love Jesus, or just carrying the burden alone?

Discernment isn’t just a spiritual skill—it’s a spiritual discipline. It happens best in the church, through the Word, prayer, and godly counsel.

You may not be choosing the next apostle—but you are making decisions:

• Should we take that job?

• Is this the right relationship?

• Do we move forward with that financial step?

• How do we navigate parenting, marriage, or retirement?

• What’s the next step in ministry?

And in those moments, don’t go it alone.

Don’t rely solely on emotion or instinct.

One of the things I love about our church is how often I see God bring clarity when His people seek Him together. I’ve seen families wrestling with decisions — unsure what to do next — and instead of withdrawing, they reached out. They met with their LifeGroup leader. They asked for prayer. They talked with the elders. Met with the deacons. And over time, through conversation, prayer, and God’s Word — God gave peace. Not always a loud answer, but a quiet confidence. The Spirit works when we invite others in and listen together.

Ask:

• What does God’s Word say?

• What are other godly people seeing in this?

• What is the Spirit of God confirming in prayer?

You don’t need a mystical sign—you need Spirit-filled people and Scripture-saturated wisdom.

Don’t overlook the value of being deeply connected to the body of Christ. Discernment rarely happens in isolation. It happens in community, among Spirit-filled believers who speak truth and grace into your life.

That’s why casual attendance won’t cut it. You need people who know you—people who will pray with you, speak Scripture to you, and help you discern what God is doing. Some of us treat church like a podcast—something we can tune into when convenient. But God designed the church as a people to belong to, not a product to consume. It’s in community that clarity comes. Don’t just attend—belong.

The same Spirit who led the early church leads us today—through the Word, through prayer, and through the Church.

CONCLUSION

So how do you move forward when the path isn’t clear?

Not with panic.

Not with passivity.

But with faithful, intentional trust in the God who sees what we can’t.

Take the first step:

• Obey what Jesus has already said.

• Pray with others as you wait on God.

• Discern His direction through Scripture, prayer, and godly counsel.

You don’t need to have the full picture to walk in faith—just enough light for the next step.

So let me ask you:

• What step of obedience is God calling you to take?

• Who do you need to pray with this week?

• What decision do you need to stop carrying alone and bring to trusted believers?

God has already given you everything you need to follow Him:

His Word. His Spirit. His Church.

Let’s respond in obedience—together.

Let’s pray.