Why You Definitely Want a Spiritual Father: Reason 1 (Covering)
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Over the next few weeks, I’m going to blog about why we ALL want and need a spiritual father (or parents). I’ll also be talking about how and where to find that spiritual father (parents), and about how to treat them when you find them. This is all in preparation for the launch of my ebook, “Unlocking the Secrets of the Father’s Heart: So You’ll Never Feel Rejected Again and You’ll Always Fulfill Your Ministry.” I encourage you to follow along and begin praying for the Lord to lead you to the spiritual parents He wants you to have.
If you want to grow closer to Jesus, mature as a disciple of Christ, or do any kind of ministry (which should cover everybody breathing), you want a spiritual father.
Here is the first reason why:
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You need a spiritual covering.
Covering is one of God’s very important principles. He created us, His children, with an innate need for protection and safety. He made us that way so that He could fulfill that need.
Psalm 91:1 tells us that he who dwells in the secret place of intimacy with the Father will stay stable and fixed under Father’s shadow. Father God is our Protector, Provider, and our Shield. He is the one who provides the ultimate protection and safety for us.
However, Papa God also engineered us in such a way that we also need human parents. He created us to be mentored by our own kind. We all start our physical and spiritual life as children, and children need the covering of parents:
- When we are biologically young, we need our parents to teach us how to walk, talk, feed ourselves, bathe, and care for ourselves in every other way.
- As we grow older, we need our parents to help us find our way through relationships, education choices, career choices, how to make a budget, etc.
Basically, our human parents are intended to be a PHYSICAL covering for us in every area while we are growing up.
Similarly, our spiritual parents are a covering for us in every area spiritually. They are like Father God with skin on:
- They watch over us and look out for our best interests.
- They see the treasure in us, even if nobody else does.
- They speak into our lives, building us up and encouraging us to be all Christ made us to be.
- They protect us, like a shepherd fiercely protects his sheep.
- They pray for us, teach us, and love us.
- They give us opportunities to practice what we’re called to do, which forces us to grow. 🙂
- True spiritual parents will even discipline us when we need it.
Father God is our heavenly, supernatural covering. He is with us all the time. He will always take care of you and me. But He also made you to need the spiritual covering of spiritual parents here on earth.
When you subject yourself to the authority of spiritual parents, giving them permission to speak into your life, love you, encourage you, and yes, even correct you, then you get that spiritual covering over your life. You get spiritual safety and protection. You will notice a tangible difference in your life, too.
- You’ll have someone praying for you. You’ll see the answers to their prayers.
- You’ll have a role model and godly example. You’ll see a pattern to follow in your life.
- Their ceiling will become your floor. You will receive some skills, anointings, and relationships because your parents fought for and earned them–not because you did.
- Things will were going wrong in your life will often start going right–just because God blesses your decision to get under authority and covering.
God engineered us to need protection and covering. The spiritual covering of a spiritual father (or spiritual parents) is where we get that protection in our walk with the Lord.
Do you have a spiritual covering? If not, do you want one? Please leave your comments below and tell me what you think.
I am looking for scripture where it talks about parents as a spiritual covering!
Hi Becca! Glad you’re interested in this subject. The list of Scriptures is too exhaustive for me to list here, but as you study, I’d suggest looking especially for the Scriptures about leadership (how leaders are supposed to function in your life and what their purpose is), and also about how we are to honor our leaders. There’s tons of information in the Scriptures just about those two things. One of my favorites is Hebrews 13:17, which says:
“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (NKJV).
The point in this Scripture about spiritual fatherhood is that your spiritual leaders watch out for your souls, and are actually accountable to God for watching over you. And when we yield to this process–not in any ungodly, cultish way, but in a godly way, submitting to the godly leaders whom God has placed in our path–we reap the benefits of their labors and their example.
We see this in the life of Jesus, who was a spiritual father (not to mention the Everlasting Father!) to His disciples. He shepherded them, taught them, prayed for them, and got life-on-life with them for 3 years. Then in John 18:9-19, we actually see Him giving account to the Father for His care of them. Isn’t that awesome?
The more you study about spiritual leadership, the more you will enjoy and benefit from having good leaders. Godly leaders–especially the ones who take a personal interest in our lives, a.k.a. “spiritual fathers”–are a source of spiritual protection, example, inspiration, equipping, encouragement, and accountability.
Thanks so much for reading my blog! Have a great day!
I would like to have a spiritual father. how do I find one?
Awesome question, Jacob! Here’s an article series I wrote on how to find a spiritual father:
https://www.fromhispresence.com/how-to-find-a-spiritual-father-1/
Hope this helps! Thanks so much for reading my blog!
Should my spiritual father be necesarily my pastor? Can he be some other human….
It doesn’t have to be your pastor, Michael. Whoever the Lord leads you to.
how do I pick my spiritual
father?
Great question, Clement! Here’s the link to a 3-part series I wrote about that very thing!
https://www.fromhispresence.com/how-to-find-a-spiritual-father-1/
Hope it helps!
I truelly enjoy everything you taught. more grace to you.
Thank you Jamie for this wonderful insight. I was looking for this information. I used to visit a wonderful fellowship in my previous city and loved everything about it except that the leader of the fellowship would in a way be offended if you disagree with him on one thing you are uncomfortable with and I was disturbed. I felt he believed so much in what he says and expected us to follow his words without questioning him. So I left and he declared that whoever left the fellowship would be acursed. But let me read your other blog posts as I expect your feedback… God bless!
My spiritual father does not exist in my life and I feel unsure about him as a spiritual father because of this reason should I feel worried that he is not there for me? It causes me to think he is being selfish with his time and I have been unhappy and I want to be able to find joy in life. How do I get my spiritual father to stop ignoring my spiritual needs to help me enjoy my daily life? I need more knowledge and alot more love that I can not only see but also feel daily for me to see the importance.
Hi Shoshannah, great question. It sounds like you are looking to your spiritual father to make you happy in life and give you joy in life, and to give you love. None of those things are a spiritual father’s role. Only you can choose to be happy, and only the Lord can give you joy. Joy comes from abiding in the presence of the Lord, and from spending time one-on-one alone with Him. Love only comes from Father God and your heart will never be filled up by people’s love. So I would encourage you to get all of these needs filled by God alone, and by finding the joy that comes from your choice to abide in the Presence of the Lord and serve God and obey Him, for anything else is idolatry if you look to a spiritual father for any of these things.
Hope this helps.
Jamie
Good morning.
Of late we hear some Christians praying with this terminology; God of my spiritual father Seth, answer me or save me.
Q? Is this biblical?
Hi Seth,
I’ve never heard anyone use this reference, so I can’t answer your question. I would definitely encourage you to research it yourself in Scripture, though!
Blessings! Thanks for reading!
Jamie