Pastor Elijah Teaches Me an Important Lesson
“Did God ask you to approach these men?” he asked.I was speaking to my friend and mentor Pastor Elijah Sebuchu. I’ve written about him in the past, most notably when I talked about his philosophy “relationships are better than meat.” Pastor Elijah is all about relationships, but he’s also a man of prayer.
Become a Man of Prayer
As you know, I’ll be speaking at the Youth Ablaze Conference in Uganda next month. The conference will have over eight thousand delegates attending. It is a big deal and has a hefty price tag.The presentation preparation and fundraising are time-consuming. I’m doing it this year but had what I thought was a great idea for next year. So I approached Pastor Elijah.“Next year we should have a team of presenters go to Youth Ablaze,” I said. “I know a handful of terrific entrepreneurs who would do an amazing job presenting. In addition, we can spread the fundraising for the event among each of these presenters.”I thought this was a great idea and expected to be met with an equal level of enthusiasm.
Busted by Pastor Elijah
Then Pastor Elijah asked, “Have you prayed about this? The conference theme is ‘Kingdom Minded Entrepreneurship.’ Are these men and women called by God to present to these future leaders of Uganda?”He continued, “You must pray first. Ask God before you ask these men and women. They must be chosen by God to do this, not by you.”He was right. I had not prayed about my idea. I was busted!This is the way Pastor Elijah operates. His first step is always prayer, and my first step is always action. I need to reevaluate my next step.