Acts 1:14 describes the earliest believers gathering in Jerusalem after Jesus had ascended, and it shows them devoting themselves to prayer together as one body. The verse tells you who was there and what they were doing: the eleven apostles, a group of women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus’s brothers, all persevering in prayer and request. Luke, the author of Acts, is recording this moment as the church waits for the promise Jesus had given them.
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 (WEB)
What Acts 1:14 Means
The phrase “with one accord” means they were of one mind and heart, not scattered or divided. Luke is describing a community that had set aside their earlier disagreements and fears and were moving in the same direction. This unity is part of what makes the verse worth noticing, because the same disciples who once argued about greatness and fled in the garden now share a common purpose.
“Continued steadfastly” points to persistence rather than a single burst of devotion. The word used suggests they kept at it, returning to prayer day after day while they waited. “Prayer and supplication” joins general worship and communion with God to specific requests, so they were both lifting up praise and bringing their needs before the Lord.
The verse does not promise that their prayers would be answered in a particular way or on a particular timetable. It simply records what they did while they waited. What it does offer is a pattern: faithful people, uncertain about the immediate future, chose to stay close to God rather than to scatter or take matters into their own hands.
The Context of Acts 1:14
Acts is the second volume of a two-part work by Luke, the same author who wrote the Gospel bearing his name. Traditionally he is identified as a companion of Paul and a physician, and his audience appears to be a Greek-speaking believer named Theophilus, though the work was clearly meant for the wider church. The book traces how the message about Jesus spread from Jerusalem outward.
Just before this verse, the angels remind the disciples that Jesus will return in the same way they saw him leave, and then the group goes back to the upper room in Jerusalem. Just after it, Peter stands up to address the gathering and to fill the vacancy left by Judas. Reading the verse in that setting makes its quiet waiting feel like the calm before the Spirit comes at Pentecost in the next chapter, which is the real turning point of the story.
Key Phrases in Acts 1:14
Acts 2:1
Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
(WEB)
This verse shows what happened when the waiting ended. The same group gathered in one place, and the promised Spirit arrived. Reading it alongside Acts 1:14 helps you see that the earlier prayer was not wasted but was part of how the church was prepared for what came next.
Philippians 4:6
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
(WEB)
Paul’s exhortation to bring every request to God with thanksgiving echoes the prayer and supplication of Acts 1:14. Both passages show believers turning to God in specific requests while staying grounded in gratitude and trust.
A Short Prayer From Acts 1:14
Lord, you gathered your first followers together in one place and taught them to wait on you in prayer. Help me to be of one accord with the people you have placed around me, especially when we disagree or feel uncertain. Teach me to keep praying steadily, bringing my requests before you with trust and patience even when I cannot see how you will answer. Gather your people close and keep our hearts turned toward you. Amen.
