Elevating God’s Purpose in Your Marriage

“Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus.”
Romans 16:3 (NLT)

Like you, I have my own list of Bible heroes, those great men and women of God that were used mightily to change history, save nations, and live courageously.  We could all name off a list of them like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Esther, Peter, Paul, and Mary (the last three were not the folk singers of the ’60s) just to mention a few.  Among these giants of the faith, I’m particularly impressed with a married couple named Aquila (the husband) and his wife, Priscilla.  I love this description of them and the challenge they present to every Christian couple that elevates God’s purpose in marriage. 

    “In an age when the focus is mostly on what happens between a husband and wife,
Aquila and Priscilla are an example of what can happen through a husband and wife.”

If you’re married, have you considered what God may want to do through you as a couple?  What a challenge!  If you’re single and seeking a mate, have you considered what it is that God may want to do through your marriage with the partner you are seeking?  When we are introduced to Aquila and his wife in Acts 18, we find a couple who are available to God in the midst of transition.  Tentmakers by trade, they’ve just been deported from Rome along with all the other Jews living there at the time and were trying to settle in a new city called Corinth when they meet a missionary who needed a place to stay.  That missionary was Paul, the apostle! Imagine taking him in as your house guest? Their lives would never be the same!  What a difference their simple availability and willingness to be used made in their marriage and in the Kingdom of God! Their ministry of hospitality led them into a deeper dimension of faith and service in the development of several New Testament churches!

Later we see them used of God in mentoring another rising star among the apostles by the name of Apollos, and finally, planting a church in their home when they moved back to Rome.  Paul described them like this, “They once risked their lives for me.  I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches.”  (Romans 16:4 NLT) They were partners together in ministry!  What a vision for marriage!

Maybe this is a great time for you to make that commitment with your spouse. Would you commit to becoming partners in ministry, asking God to not only use you individually but as a couple. Then, like Aquilla and Priscilla, remain available for God to use you however He chooses.

---

Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.