Hey there! Unless you live on a deserted island, you’re probably part of someone’s journey of growth and development. I call these people receivers, just like in football, because they catch the information we share to help them move forward. I’ll talk more about them in this podcast episode.

Now, let’s pick up where I left off. Prayer is the secret ingredient in mentorship. It’s the key that helps you find the right people to help. I can’t claim to have invented this, but I found it here:

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles (Luke 6:12-13, CEV).

Wow! The greatest person to ever live, Lord Jesus, spent the whole night praying before starting a mentorship relationship. If God’s Son did this, then why shouldn’t we?

Prayer is the secret sauce that helped Jesus choose His ‘mentees,’ and you should use it too. Here are some practical things to ask while praying:

1. Who? The first thing to ask is who you’re supposed to help. In other words, who does God want you to guide for a while?
2. What? The second thing is what you’re supposed to help them with. In other words, what, specifically, are you supposed to share that will be invaluable for the journey ahead?

Just as important as these questions is waiting for the answer. Maybe that’s why Jesus prayed all night. He was willing to wait for the answer because He knew it would be better than anything He could imagine on His own.

And there you have it, friends. Prayer is the secret ingredient that will help you build relationships with ‘receivers’ that God wants. If you’re willing to ask who, what, and wait, God will answer, in His own time, with the information you need.

These are just a few things you can pray for related to mentorship relationships. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. If you prayed before starting a mentoring relationship, what did you ask for?

I’ll be back soon with another post. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the latest episode of our podcast for more wisdom about establishing mentorship relationships.  

Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are from the Contemporary English Version Copyright © 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.