October 23, 2026

57 minutes ago

5 min read

Fierce Passion and Intense Desire

Before I share an important phrase from the book of Acts, I want to comment on the author of this incredibly powerful book of the Bible, Paul’s partner Luke. He authored not only the book of Acts but also the gospel of Luke. He was a Gentile (non-Jewish) and a close friend of Paul, who referred to him as “the beloved physician” (Colossians 4:14). Perhaps Luke’s interest in medicine is why Holy Spirit chose him to write the gospel of Luke, since it places so much emphasis on Jesus’ acts of healing.

Paul also refers to Luke as a “fellow laborer” (Philemon 1:24). He joined Paul during the apostle’s second missionary journey (Acts 16:6–11); some scholars speculate that Luke was the “man of Macedonia” whom Paul saw in his dream (“Come over to Macedonia and help us” - Acts 16:9). He also accompanied Paul on his journey to Jerusalem and Rome, and was with him during his imprisonment there (2 Timothy 4:11).

Scholars note that Luke had an outstanding command of Greek and was clearly a well-educated, observant, and careful writer.(1)

This brings me to the phrase I want to mention (which is actually one word in Greek): “one accord.” This word/phrase is used 12 times in the New Testament, 11 of them by Dr. Luke in Acts. The other usage was by Paul in Romans 15:6. The first use by Luke is in chapter one:

“Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room…These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication…” (Acts 1:12-14)

Luke uses the word/phrase five times in the first five chapters of Acts, the second one being in the more famous verse, Acts 2:1. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

The Greek word for “one accord” is extremely poignant and powerful. Homothumadon(2) comes from combining two words, homos(3) meaning “oneness, same, together, unison;” and the powerful word thumos,(4) meaning “passion, spirit, surging emotion or inner drive, anger, fierceness, wrath, indignation, and more”. Placed together, these two words paint a picture of people moving together in deep, passionate, harmonious unity.

The website preceptaustin.org expands the description to (get ready for this one): “with the same emotion, with the same passion, of one persuasion…having the same desire, with the same mind, of one accord…with one purpose…with unanimous consent…simultaneously, as one. Homothumadon describes a complete harmony of views and feelings, as well as singleness of purpose. No schisms. No divisions. No divided interest. No discordant purposes.”

They quote James Edwards as saying this unity “comes from outside ourselves… the sort of oneness that results when a group of soldiers is attacked by an enemy; whatever their differences, the threat of destruction welds them into a fighting unit.” The word doesn’t mean everyone thinks the same, but rather that they share a singular, passionate devotion to a common purpose or mission.

Still in the same article, preceptaustin.org quotes John Franklin as saying, “the word can be understood as [having] the same burning of heart, or same heart passion. [Referencing the church in Acts he states] This ardor of heart, unity, fellowship, and agreement in purpose, desire, passion, attitude, mentality, action, and lifestyle marked the dynamism of their prayer meetings.” No wonder the building shook when they prayed!

The analogy of an orchestra or symphony is often used to define this word (just as it is to define the Greek word sumphoneo,(5) the word for “agreement” in the New Testament, which we covered in a recent post). In an orchestra, many different instruments, playing distinct notes, blend and harmonize into a single, unified chord under the direction of a conductor. Through this, the music is multiplied and enhanced.

Dr. Luke, motivated by Holy Spirit, wanted us to know that this level of unity, passion and agreement was key to the incredible power and success of the early church.

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that God even created a law of physics to illustrate His love of harmony and agreement. “Working together” in the New Testament is the Greek word sunergeo,(6) from which we get our English word, synergy. Synergy is the multiplying of power or strength that occurs when two or more people “work together.” When creating the laws of physics, God said, essentially, “If you’ll work together, I will multiply power.” He appreciates “your” labor, and He appreciates “my” labor. But He appreciates “our” labor more.

Thousands of Christ’s Ekklesia will be in one accord, working together, next Friday night [October 30, 2026]. With the “same fierce passion” and “intense desire,” generated not from ourselves but from the Lord Himself, we will Appeal To Heaven with a “singleness of purpose.” With “burning hearts” and “surging spirited emotion,” we will make decrees for our King, declaring that His Kingdom will come and His will be done in America. We will bind the plans and ideologies of hell, forbidding their success in our nation. We will close every door to demonic influence and control. We will call for America’s Third Great Awakening. And we will pray regarding the upcoming midterm elections. God will answer, just as He did in the book of Acts.

Please join us as we do so.

Pray with me:

Father, the orchestra of Your Kingdom does more than sing praises; it agrees in prayer. And when it does, You said it attracts You and multiplies Your power. We harmonize together today, recalling various themes for which You have asked us to pray:

We break the power of darkness and deception over prodigals and call them home.

We ask You for a billion-soul harvest throughout the nations of the earth: among Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, and every other group of people. We bind the Prince of Persia in the Middle East and all of its allies.

We ask You for a great harvest of young people here in America and around the world – the largest ever.

We ask that the church be awakened from passivity and complacency and that Your fire would bring revival to believers throughout this nation and the world.

We ask for human trafficking to be exposed and ended.

We ask that You heal racial division and that love and compassion will sweep throughout our land. We pray that those who divide us for selfish reasons be humbled and exposed.

We ask that You expose evil in our nation and purify our government by Your Spirit.

We ask that You be Lord over the upcoming mid-term elections.

We ask that those who call You Lord fully recognize the seriousness of the hour. Allow them to feel the “for such a time as this” weight of this window in history. Remind them that they are history-shapers, and that this is not only a responsibility but an extraordinary privilege.

We ask for the complete restoration of America to Your purpose and destiny.

All of this we ask in the all-powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Our decree:

We declare that heaven’s symphony on earth is becoming more finely tuned and skillful, releasing a harmonious sound that is pleasant to the heart of God.

Join us next Friday night (October 30, 2026) at The Oasis Church in Middletown, OH. You can find more information about this gathering and how you and your church can participate at: OasisWired.org.