The words of a Black Pentecostal pastor inspired Sajid Javid to take the leap and resign as Health Secretary after wrestling with the decision for days.

The Tory leader contender revealed in an interwith with The Telegraph that he started thinking seriously about resigning after it emerged that Boris Johnson had known about the allegations against deputy chief whip, Chris Pincher.

However, the revelations did not lead Javid to resign immediately.

"Last weekend was when I first started thinking that maybe I just don't have confidence anymore in the Prime Minister," he said.

"And I kept trying to convince myself why I did but I just couldn't do it – I was having a really hard weekend.

"Even then, on Sunday, I hadn't quite decided to resign. I was thinking maybe I just owe the Prime Minister, one more time, the benefit of doubt."

It was a few days later, while listening to a sermon by Street Pastors founder, Les Isaacs, on responsibility and integrity at the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast in Westminster that he decided to bite the bullet.

"There was a pastor there, Reverend Isaac, and I just felt I was just really listening intently to what he was saying," he said.

"And I know it sounds strange, but it made me reflect.

"I made my decision then, sitting there listening to his sermon, and I just thought it's about integrity, it's about a duty.

"If you haven't got confidence in the boss, you owe it to yourself and the country to tell the boss nicely that you can't serve and that was it."

After meeting Johnson in person to tell him of his decision, he announced his resignation on Twitter moments before Rishi Sunak.

In his resignation speech in Parliament, Javid referenced the prayer breakfast and Isaac's sermon. 

Around 700 people attended the prayer breakfast last Tuesday, including 190 parliamentarians.

Christians in Politics executive director Andy Flannagan, who led the gathering in worship, said the event had "clearly had an impact" on Javid.

He said that there was a problem with the current "culture" in government and that the Church had a role to play in inspiring good leadership. 

"We have to challenge the violation of ethics that we have seen in the political leadership of this land - and also those who went along with it for many years," he said.