So he (Elijah) departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him”
1Kings 19:19 – NKJV
Prophet Elijah was commissioned by God to anoint Elisha to succeed him. Elisha is now about to enter into his season. But Elisha was just a farm boy plowing oxen day in day out, what did he know of being a prophet?
What Elisha had going for him was vision. God is not going to send a mentor to assist you without you having some idea of what your vision is. The mentor is there to help you with your vision, not to give you or tell you what your vision ought to be.
How did Elisha have vision?
Two things – first, in order to plow in a straight line you cannot look around, you had to be focused and intent on what you are doing, you can’t be easily distracted. And secondly, as you plough you have to look a bit ahead, you can’t keep your eyes on the immediate.
Elisha knew how to remain focused on the task and how to look ahead because you go where you set your vision. He was trained in the natural how to have ‘a vision’.
To prepare for your season you have to be focused and also have the ability to look way ahead and beyond your present circumstances. Your vision must be beyond where you are at. You must be able to see what God is calling you to with eyes of faith and be focused on it, not easily distracted.
You may not know how to get there and that is where your mentor is needed; he or she is there to assist you help tweak and refine that vision, to help you strategize, etc.
But first, you must at least have some idea of the vision God is calling you. When you have a vision you mentor will show up.