An Interview with Emmanuel Kuti
by Pastor Mike Mercurio
January 7, 2025
Emmanuel Kuti is an 81 year old man from Nigeria and an elder of our church. He was the head elder and leader of the search committee when I came to serve at First Alliance Church almost 20 years ago. In fact, he was the first person that I ever spoke to from the church.
I cannot speak highly enough about his character and the respect that he has from all the people that know him. He was the first person that came to mind when I thought about this first feature article for the website and newsletter. What follows are some highlights from a recent phone call that Emmanuel and I shared together.
Pastor Mike: Many people know you to be a man of prayer. What motivated you the most to spend time talking and listening to God?
Emmanuel: It started with my grandfather. He read the word of God out loud everyday at five in the evening. There were no clocks to look at, but I knew the time by the shadows from the sun and everyday he read at the same time. As I listened, it was like God was talking to me and it made me wonder how do I talk back to God?
Pastor Mike: Did his reading the scriptures also demonstrate for you what prayer was like?
Emmanuel: Yes, specifically when he got to the Psalms. The bible is a prayer book. … When I heard my mom praying, she used the same language of David who was crying out to God. … My motivation started from there. I was motivated to learn.
Pastor Mike: When you think about God answering prayer, what example comes to your mind of answered prayer.
Emmanuel: When I was a child, God made me dream and in those dreams I wanted to go to the United States.
Pastor Mike: Why the United States and not England or some other English speaking country?
Emmanuel: Because of Billy Graham. He used to come to my country and preach. I heard him on the radio. Also because of John F. Kennedy. He helped start the college that I attended in Nigeria. But I had to wait a long time for the answer to my prayer.
Pastor Mike: How long did it take?
Emmanuel: 22 years.
Pastor Mike: How old were you when you first had this dream?
Emmanuel: Five years old. I didn’t know much but somehow I knew the world map … After I was in college I met an American who was an expert in water engineering. He knew everything about water, below the ground and above. … One day we were talking and I just asked, “How can I be like you?” He laughed because he was so good that he was demanded all over the world, but he was a big help. And meeting him was a specific answer to prayer because you know you have to go through so many stages in life in learning to be able to even think of going to a college in the United States. … I learned about P.U.S.H., a way of praying. It means: Pray Until Something Happens. I also learned the importance of letting children dream dreams and teaching them to pray.
Pastor Mike: For people who are new to prayer what advice would you give to help them?
Emmanuel Kuti: My advice is first to learn to listen to God. You cannot do anything without faith and faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of God. You cannot hear the word of God if you are not listening … Prayer is a communication between you and God. You have to listen to him before you speak. … My faith cannot come if I’m just hearing myself. … I would also say, learn from the example of Jesus and his disciples. He prayed in the garden near the Mount of Olives on his way to the cross and took three of his closest disciples: Peter, James and John. He asked them to keep watch and pray. But they fell asleep. I remember the time that I went there with you and others from the church on a trip. I thought then that I too would have failed the test. I looked down at the roots of the trees and thought that these trees have history. If only they could talk. But Jesus took the disciples because he wanted some people to teach. He asked them, “Could you not pray with me for one hour? The spirit is willing but the body is weak.” I thought, if they couldn’t pray, how could I. But then it was as if Jesus said to me, “Don’t worry, I will be your prayer partner.” My response was like Pastor Allen’s message last Sunday from Isaiah when God asked, “Whom shall I send?” and Isaiah said back, “Here I am, send me.” I also said to God, “Here I am, send me.”
Pastor Mike: I love how God just ties everything together and confirms his message to us.
Emmanuel: Yes, I agree.