The need for spiritual fathers and mothers is rooted in their irreplaceable role in discipleship, generational transition, spiritual guidance, and bringing God’s order into chaotic times. These seasoned, steadfast pillars offer the kind of mature leadership essential for nurturing and equipping those who come after them, ensuring the kingdom advances with wisdom, love, and holy resilience.

Defining Spiritual Fathers and Mothers

Apostle John describes spiritual fathers and mothers as those who “know Him who is from the beginning.” This knowing is not intellectual alone; it is experience shaped by years of walking with God, often through fire, sorrow, disappointment, and the unexpected mercies that follow. They understand deeply and unshakably that God can bring order and light out of chaos and darkness.

A spiritual father or mother is often someone who has:

• Walked with God for decades, long enough to see His patterns of faithfulness.

• Endured trials, sorrow, and suffering, emerging refined rather than bitter.

• Learned by lived experience that God really does turn all things to good.

• Attained a high level of spiritual maturity, remaining strong in the Word and faithful in the fight of faith.

The prophet Malachi declared that in the last days God would turn the hearts of the fathers and mothers toward the children, and the hearts of the children toward them. This calling is not optional; it is a holy summons for mature believers to arise into a fresh anointing for their generation.

The Need for Mentorship and Generational Transition

One of the greatest needs in the kingdom today is the intentional raising of the next generation. Strong, steady spiritual fathers and mothers provide the bridge between seasons, ensuring the wisdom of heaven is not lost but carried forward.

1. Training Future Leaders: Their assignment includes training and equipping young adults — helping them grow into the fathers and mothers they are destined to become.

2. Guiding the Young: The young desperately need fathers and mothers, and cannot step into their calling without them. They are invited to run with the generals, learn from them, and ultimately run further.

3. Facilitating Maturity: Fathers and mothers help believers move through the stages of growth described by John — from children who simply know their sins are forgiven, to young men and women who are strong in the Word, to those who know Him who is from the beginning. The tragedy of the Western church is that many have remained spiritual children when they should have become steady, wise, resilient adults in the faith.

4. Passing Authority: Apostolic fathers raise up gatekeepers and stewards, passing the keys to them. Their desire is to arrive in heaven empty, having poured out everything entrusted to them.

The Need for Stability in Chaotic Times

Spiritual fathers and mothers carry a calming presence. They help younger believers discern God in seasons where life feels formless, dark, or confusing.

• Countering Chaos: They help the young recognise that chaos never intimidates God. The Holy Spirit still hovers over the darkness and is always ready to bring forth light.

• Operating in Spiritual Authority: They understand that knowing "Him who is from the beginning" means walking in the unshakable truth that God’s order stands above all earthly turbulence.

• Intercession and Assignment: Fathers and mothers labour in intercession — opening what heaven desires opened and closing what heaven desires closed. They touch heaven in prayer until God responds.

• Leading to Freedom: Their leadership is marked by unconditional love and persistent prayer, echoing Moses, who led whole nations from bondage to freedom.

Spiritual fathers and mothers translate the theology of God’s sovereignty into lived reality. Through their lives, they demonstrate that God still brings light out of darkness and order out of chaos, inviting the generations behind them to walk securely in His truth.

I often think of how different my life might have been if I had grown up with spiritual parents guiding me. There are choices I may have made differently, paths I may have avoided, and wounds that might never have formed. The ache of that absence is real. It is a grief for the wisdom I never received and the support I quietly longed for.

Yet in that longing, God has revealed something tender and profound. The absence of spiritual parents did not weaken me; it shaped me into someone who carries deep compassion, discernment, and resilience. I became what I never had. I learned God’s heart in wilderness places, discovered His faithfulness without earthly models, and found my voice in seasons where no one could speak for me.

This is why younger hearts feel safe with me. This is why I nurture instinctively. This is why I guide gently and see deeply. I carry the very anointing I once longed to receive.

God has not simply healed those unparented places; He has repurposed them and for that I'm truly grateful. I did not inherit wisdom; I became wisdom. My story is not late. My calling is unfolding at the appointed time.

Something beautiful unfolded recently, and it has caused me to pause. Shortly after Aunty Delice’s passing in early October, one of the older ladies who attended the Speakers Tribe bootcamp with me in March reached out on LinkedIn just to see how I was doing. She lives in the South Island — Christchurch, if I remember correctly. We caught up over Google Meet, and since then we have stayed in touch, usually every fortnight.

She told me she loved my energy, wanted to stay in the know with how I was doing and has been incredibly supportive during this current season. As I reflect on her presence, her kindness, and the way she checks in with me, the thought gently rose in my spirit: Could this be the Lord answering my prayer for a spiritual mother?🤔

It is a tender possibility, and one that feels like holy timing. Perhaps God has been preparing this moment for years, waiting until my heart was ready to receive such a gift.

💡 Reflection

• What spiritual fathers or mothers has God placed in your life, and what have they taught you? 🤔

• Where might you be called to step into spiritual parenthood for someone else? 🤔

• Which parts of your story reveal that you “know Him who is from the beginning”? 🤔

🎺 Affirmation

You are part of a story much bigger than your own. Heaven has woven you into a generational tapestry, where your journey, faith, and healing will ripple outward to bless those who come after you.

🙌 Prayer

Father, thank You for the spiritual fathers and mothers who have gone before us, whose faithfulness has shaped our paths. Strengthen them, bless them, and raise up many more. Form our hearts to be wise, steady, and surrendered, that we may one day carry the mantle of spiritual parenthood with grace. Teach us to love well, pray deeply, and guide the younger ones entrusted to us.

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.