CHRISTIANS IN THE MARKET PLACE: FAMOUS QOUTES FROM DENZEL WASHINGTON

He's best known as the iconic star of films as diverse as Philadelphia andAmerican Gangster, but Denzel Washington is also known as a Hollywood star who is unafraid to be vocal about his Christian faith.

Washington this month told
graduates of Dillard University to "put God first in everything you do". It's not the first time he's gone public with his faith however, frequently mentioning it in interviews.
The son of a minister, Washington has been a regular at a Los Angeles church for over 35 years, and donated a reported $2.5m to its rebuilding project. He might have taken some slightly questionable acting roles down the years, but as these quotes prove, he's remained certain about his faith in God throughout.

On being filled with the Holy Spirit:
"[It] was thirty years ago, at the church I still attend. The minister was preaching: "Just let it go". I said, "I'm going to go with it." And I had this tremendous physical and spiritual experience. It did frighten me. I was slobbering, crying, sweating. My cheeks blew up. I was purging. It was too intense. It almost drove me away. I called my mother, and she said I was being filled with the Holy Spirit. I was like, 'Does that mean I can never have wine again?'"
- From an interview with GQ, September 2012

On a prophetic word which started it all:
"Acting was my calling. The year I started acting there was a woman in my mother's beauty shop, who kept looking at me in the mirror. Finally she got a piece of paper and wrote 'prophecy' at the top. She said: 'You are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.' Now, bear in mind that I'd just been kicked out of school. I said: 'You see anything there about me being let back into school?' That was March 75 and September 75 I started acting. I still got that piece of paper too."
- From an interview with The Guardian, January 2013

On remembering to pray every day...
"Put your slippers way under your bed so when you get up in the morning, you have to get on your knees to find them. And while you're down there, start your day with prayer. Ask for wisdom. Ask for understanding. Don't aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference."
- From an interview with GQ, September 2012

On your passion and desires
"True desire in your heart for anything good is Gods proof to you sent before hand to indicate that its yours already"