Listen:
“There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.” (Acts 18:2–3)
Reflect:
Paul was a missionary, probably exhausted from his travels, when he arrived at Corinth, where Aquila and Priscilla his wife welcomed him. It is important to note that Aquila and Priscilla were refugees (foreigners) in Corinth. Emperor Claudius had deported all Jews from Rome. Aquila and Priscilla provided to Paul shelter, company, and income from their tent making business, and they joined him in his missionary ministry.
In verse 24 and 26, while in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila met an Egyptian preacher named Apollos. While Apollos was “a learned man” who spoke “accurately” and “with great fervor,” his knowledge of the way of God was incomplete. Recognizing the opportunity to invest in this young man, Priscilla and Aquila invited him into their home and provided him with deeper instruction.
In 2016, a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a global corporation in Uganda, Mrs. Joanita Menya, offered her space for free for a Christian leadership program to be run from there for a period. Every morning on Saturdays, for seven (7) sessions the leadership program met there! This boardroom become a place where many lives were transformed, relations created and networking happened for people from different backgrounds met. This was a gift that I believe Mrs. Joanita Menya gave from her heart and it became a testimony to all who knew her and her love for God and advancing his Kingdom.
Prayer of Response:
Precious Jesus during this period of lent let us remember the best sacrifice of all that you made for humanity when you died on the cross to reconcile us to our Creator.
Questions to Ponder:
- What gift or resource are you giving to advance the Kingdom of God during this time of lent?
- Where in your life could you live more courageously?
Breath Prayer:
As a new weekly rhythm, join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale (Breathe in): Lord, help me to give you priority every day
Exhale (Breathe out): In serving You
—Submitted by: Margaret Okello
Margaret is Ugandan, and holds a graduate degree in Education from Makerere University, Uganda, with a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration and Instructional Leadership from St John’s University, New York, USA. Margaret’s career started as an educator, then an administrator with international organizations including the United Nations Secretariat and later the World Health Organization (WHO). She worked with people of diverse backgrounds from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia and Europe. In addition, Margaret has been a business entrepreneur since she retired, teaching women how to create and grow their incomes and keep healthy sustainable habits. She works as a minister in Christian organizations such as Lifesprings and local churches. She is also a motivational speaker and an author. Margaret is married and a mother of two adult children.