Although Denzel Washington is well-known for playing redemptive characters in films, he is sharing his personal need to lean on God every day. 

"Stay on your knees. Watch me, but listen to God," Washington says at a Christian men's conference. "I hope that the words in my mouth and the meditation of my heart are pleasing in God's sight, but I'm human."

Washington was one of the feature speakers to share at "The Better Man Event" hosted by First Baptist Orlando in Florida this past Saturday. 


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"At 66, getting ready to be 67, having just buried my mother, I made a promise to her and to God, not just to do good the right way, but to honor my mother and my father by the way I live my life, the rest of my days on this Earth. I'm here to serve, to help, to provide," he says.

During the conference, Washington spoke for 30 minutes on stage with his mentor, Pastor A.R. Bernard, the senior pastor of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn, New York. 

"In every prayer, all I hear is: 'Feed my sheep.' That's what God wants me to do."

Washington opened up further to the idea of sheep, saying he's come to realize there are many kinds of sheep. 

"So that's why I talk to experienced shepherds to help guide me."

The Academy-Award-winning actor continued to tell people that fame and money are not the answer to life's big questions. 

"What I played in the movies is not who I am, it's what I played. I'm not going to sit or stand on any pedestal and tell you about what I had in mind for you or your soul. Because the fact of the matter is, in the whole 40-year process, I was struggling for my own soul."

To the men in attendance, Washington encouraged them to have a relationship with God, through prayer. 

"What I have will not keep me on this Earth for one more day. Share what you know, inspire who you can, seek advice. If you want to talk to one someone, talk to the One that can do something about it. Constantly develop those habits."

The role of a man, in society's ever-changing landscape, is a privilege, according to Washington. 

"The John Wayne formula is not quite a fit right now. But strength, leadership, power, authority, guidance, patience are God's gift to us as men. We have to cherish that, not abuse it."