PEOPLE GOD USED: PRISCILLA

The Power of a Prepared Heart

You don't have to stand on a platform to make a lasting difference in God's kingdom.

When we think about people God uses, we often think of the people we see: the pastor behind the pulpit, the missionary serving overseas, or the gifted teacher who can hold a room's attention.

But what about the people working quietly behind the scenes? What about those who open their homes, invest in others, teach one-on-one, and help someone else become stronger in their faith?

Meet Priscilla.

We don't know everything about her life, but the glimpses Scripture gives us reveal a woman whose faithfulness made a lasting difference in the early church.

Her story reminds us that God's kingdom doesn't depend solely on people who stand in front of a crowd. It also depends on people who prepare their hearts and invest in others.

Faithfulness begins in ordinary places

In Acts 18, we meet Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, after they leave Italy and settle in Corinth. They share a trade with the apostle Paul, and the three work together.

Before Priscilla appears in an account of teaching another believer, we see her working and living ordinary life.

She had responsibilities. She had experienced disruption. She had a life beyond the moments recorded in Scripture.

Yet God worked through her in the middle of it all.

We sometimes imagine that we'll become more useful to God when our circumstances change. When life slows down. When we have more time. When we feel more qualified.

But Priscilla's story challenges that thinking.

God can use us right where we are.

Your workplace, your home, your relationships, and your everyday responsibilities can become places where faith takes root and grows. You don't have to wait for an extraordinary opportunity to begin serving God faithfully.

Sometimes the opportunity is already sitting across the table from you.

Helping others grow is a ministry

One of the most significant moments in Priscilla's story comes in Acts 18:24–26.

A man named Apollos arrives in Ephesus. He is eloquent, knowledgeable in the Scriptures, and enthusiastic about teaching. However, his understanding of the way of God is incomplete.

When Priscilla and Aquila hear him speaking, they take him aside and explain the way of God more accurately.

Consider what they do—and what they don't do.

They don't publicly humiliate him. They don't dismiss his gifts because he still has something to learn. They don't treat his incomplete understanding as a reason to abandon him.

Instead, they invest in him.

Priscilla's story gives us a beautiful picture of spiritual maturity. Mature believers care about truth, but they also care about helping people grow in truth.

That doesn't mean we ignore error or pretend every teaching is correct. It means we learn to correct with wisdom, humility, and love.

Sometimes the most important ministry we do will never be seen by a crowd. It will happen in a conversation, a living room, or a quiet moment when we help someone understand Scripture more clearly.

We may never know how far the impact of that investment will travel.

You don't have to compete to be called

Priscilla served alongside Aquila, and together they became trusted coworkers in the gospel. Paul refers to them as his fellow workers in Romans 16:3 and acknowledges the risks they took for him.

Priscilla also appears in the account of Apollos's instruction, helping a gifted teacher become better equipped for ministry.

Her example reminds us that we don't have to compete for recognition to fulfill God's purposes.

The church needs people who preach and people who teach personally. It needs leaders and encouragers, public servants and quiet mentors. Different gifts can serve the same mission.

Priscilla didn't have to be Apollos to help Apollos. She didn't have to become someone else to make a difference.

Neither do we.

It's easy to look at another person's gifts, opportunities, or influence and conclude that our own contribution is too small to matter. But God has not asked us to become someone else. He has called us to be faithful with what He has entrusted to us.

The goal isn't to be the most visible person in the room. The goal is to help God's kingdom grow.

Make room for others to grow

Romans 16:5 and 1 Corinthians 16:19 tell us that a church met in the home of Priscilla and Aquila.

Their hospitality was part of their service. Their home became a gathering place for believers, and their lives were invested in the work of the gospel.

We can sometimes underestimate the spiritual value of making room for others.

A meal shared, a conversation offered, a skill taught, a prayer prayed, or a person welcomed into our lives may seem insignificant. But these are often the ways faith is nurtured and the church is strengthened.

What do you have that could help someone else grow?

Perhaps you know Scripture well enough to help someone understand a passage. Perhaps you've walked through a difficult season and can encourage someone who is struggling. Perhaps you have a welcoming home, a listening ear, or a gift for teaching.

You don't have to possess everything. You simply have to be willing to offer what you have.

Your faithfulness matters

Priscilla's story doesn't give us a long list of accomplishments. Instead, it shows us a life of partnership, instruction, hospitality, courage, and faithful service.

Her example challenges us to reconsider how we measure our usefulness to God.

Maybe you've been waiting for a bigger opportunity. Maybe you've wondered whether your gifts matter because they aren't especially visible. Maybe you've been so focused on what you still need to learn that you've forgotten how much you could already offer someone else.

What if your next meaningful ministry opportunity isn't about doing something bigger, but about helping someone else grow?

You can encourage a believer who is struggling. You can help someone understand Scripture. You can make room for a new person in your church. You can share what God has taught you.

You may never see the full impact of your investment. But you can be faithful with the opportunity in front of you.

You don't have to stand on a platform to make a lasting difference in God's kingdom. You need a prepared heart and a willingness to help others grow.

A challenge for this week

Think of one person you can intentionally invest in this week.

Offer encouragement. Share a lesson God has taught you. Help them understand a passage of Scripture. Make time to listen.

Don't focus on whether anyone notices what you do. Focus on whether your faithfulness helps someone else take a step toward Christ.

Reflection questions

Where might God be asking you to serve Him in your ordinary responsibilities?
Who has invested in your spiritual growth, and how can you pass that investment along?
Is comparison keeping you from recognizing the value of your own gifts?
Who could benefit from the knowledge, experience, or encouragement you already have?