Recently a student of ours asked the question on social media - What is the role of a spiritual Father?
I would like to first point out that before we can examine the role of a Spiritual Father? Let's ask ourselves what actually "is" a Spiritual Father?
Often we miss the real meaning behind things in the midst of culture and miss translation of spiritual truth. Let's take a look at what a Spiritial Father is in the eyes of the Word and the Heart of The Lord.
FATHER?
We must first realize that the word father used in the scripture in this context has nothing to do with natural parenting, but is a spiritual term that is neither exclusive to a man or a woman. Scripturally a woman can be just as much of a spiritual father as a man. For cultural reasons we refer to a woman as a Spiritual Mother. Scripturally there is no difference between these two because the word father simply means source.
SOURCE!
So The word father scripturally and spiritually technicaly means "SOURCE". God the father is a representation of the source of life, light, and the creator of all things. (James 1:16). We can see different uses of the word father in many ways, we see a Natural Father, God The Father and a Spiritual Father. One of the functions of a spiritual father is specific to calling and gifting within the organic folds of ministry.
GRACE!
Many times we diminish God to our own understanding when god desires for us to come up to his. The Bible says that God is spirit and we must worship him, and understand him, and seek him in spirit and in truth. This means coming up to his level. Seeing a father from our level keeps us from the revelation of what a Spiritial Father truly is. A Spiritual father is the source of the Grace of God to the Ministry Gifts 👉 this word grace is referring to "The Free Gift of God" Spiritual Fathers are necessary in the "realm of the gifts and callings of God," (Ephesians 4:8) as the Bible said that Jesus led captivity captive and gave gifts to men, this is referring to the five-fold ministry gifts to the body of Christ for the equipping and edifying of the saints. Even as God himself is the father of lights, the father of all Gifts & all Grace.
DIMENSIONS OF FATHERHOOD
Again a spiritual father is a source of Grace, equipping, nurturing of spiritual Gifts, in which God uses as a vessel to provide covering, instruction, counsel, and nurture specific to the calling of Christ.
A spiritual father is a covering and a shepherd to the ministry gifts and the spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. This is where many Christians miss the different dimensions of fatherhood.
Unlike a pastor, a spiritual father will shepherd your gift and your calling more so, rather than your SOUL, personal needs and natural comforts that an earthly father would provide... So then it is safe to say that a spiritual father is - as the term refers "Spiritual Source" This is one of the primary functions of a "spiritual" father. All fathers are given different levels of grace, assignment and responsibility. And not all spiritual fathers are the same. All are different according to the different graces and callings of the five-fold ministry gifts to the body of Christ, and the measure and the different capacity, dimensions and different realms of ministry.
PASTOR VS. FATHER
Most of our culture is more familiar with the "Pastor" which is referred to in the scripture as a shepherd or overseer of the flock of God. This has everything to do with the walk of the souls salvation (Philippians 2:12), rather than the equipping, edification and growth and spiritual elevation of the gifts in the body of Christ that we see in Ephesians 4:8.
SONS & DAUGHTERS
Basically, we can see that a Spiritual Father is Just what it sounds like... A father with the responsibility and oversight in the realms of the spirit. This means that this dimension of fatherhood can't be compared to our familiarity with earthly fatherhood, that in fact Spiritual Fathers are for "Spiritual Son's & daughters." The bible says that we should walk in the Spirit and not after the lusts of the flesh, and it further says that those who are Led by the Spirit are the sons and daughters of God. Spiritual fathering is in the supervision of spiritual things, and ones qualified for this dimension of fatherhood are those who are in the sons and daughters realm.
There is so much more to teach on these subjects! Spiritual Fathers are vital to a Healthy Church and much needed, especially today. Most of Christendom have limited understanding of the fatherhood realm, and this is where teaching and revelation is needed.
Stay connected to the ministry as we will definitely be teaching more about these things!
~ Prophet Michael