Importance of Mentors

In the life of ministry, it almost important that we who are called into ministry appoint for ourselves mentors to disciple, or in other words, apprentice under. Usually, they are pastors, but can also be extremely Godly people that you trust and know to be wise. You usually just pick one main person to disciple under, and have other people around to mentor you as well. The idea is, so you don't misinterpret, or learn things the hard way, and to learn from wiser people so the knowledge can be shared with others. A perfect example of this was Jesus and his 12 "Talmidim" which in Hebrew translates to disciple. They learned everything they could from Him, in order to be like Him, and to spread the teachings of Him to other people. Such as it is with ministry. One of my main spiritual mentors is Pastor Roy Mansfield, who I hold in the highest respects and regards as one of the wisest persons I have ever met. Last Wednesday, we had our last "Experiencing God" small group and it was just awesome. Everybody has cooked all these delicious dishes, (I, of course didn't because I cannot cook) anyways, I had Pastor Roy to visit what he calls his "Counseling Couch" for counsel.

I had a friend who, I will not name for his safety, was contemplating committing suicide. Being a good friend, after he confided in me and had asked for my advice, I gave him the best possible counsel I could but I just could not get through to him. My friend was a person who would never really contemplate these things or even say half of the stuff he was saying, so immediately I sensed the presence of the evil one at work in his life. I went to the one person who I knew could help me with this, Pastor Roy. As I explained what was going on, he gave me the advice that I needed to hear, and then asked for me to start in prayer for my friend. Pastor Roy prayed that we would resist the enemy that was putting such a hold on my friend's life and making him want to commit suicide. After we had prayed, I thanked him and went home. As I was driving home, I received a text from the brother of my friend who told me that "He's ok now, he doesn't want to do it anymore. He's come to his senses."

At this moment, I knew that God was at work here.

Pastor Roy has a saying, "When we work, we work. When we pray, God works." I know now the reality of the truth of this statement. God has the power to do the impossible. He saved my friend's life from a horrible fate. It was not us praying that saved my friend, it was God who worked. My friend went to church and he asked me when me and Pastor Roy had prayed for him, I told him around 7 and he told me that's when he felt better about everything. God was at work that night.