God has called us to do as Elijah did, which is not to “foster” revival, but to “father” it. Instead of simply raising a child for his own sufficiency, he set an example of Elisha, discipling him in hearing and knowing the voice of God while being his voice to a generation. It is easy to teach when you can get paid for it and go home, but it takes fathers to show up to train children up in the faith and be there to listen and encourage when no one else will (Proverbs 22:6). Do we have discipleship and mentorship in place to train newly born again believers to follow Christ? Do we have the family atmosphere where EVERYONE is welcome, regardless of how different their interests are from you? If God poured out His Spirit like we are asking and seeking, would have enough wisdom and structure to sustain a perpetual revival? We have many instructors and few fathers (1 Corinthians 4:15).

We can pray and speak revival, but are we disciplined for revival? We are to pray for revival and seek for the glory of the LORD, but it takes sons and daughters who are disciples to carry revival and birth legacy! God is a God of decency and order. His not a God of confusion, but of peace. He is a God of structure, and His order maybe diametrically opposed to our standard, but if we are pursuing the heart of God, then His kingdom will manifest in our hearts and region.

God never intended the church to be an organization but a family. Everything is with structure. You have a heavenly Father who has a Son that Has a bride. You have spiritual fathers in the faith who have sons and daughters. Without the family perspective, we miss everything! God also never intended for us to be so busy that we cannot be a family, both in the natural and spiritual. We are no different than the government when we treat people like a number. The early church flow was the prayer being laid as the foundation and building the family that leads to cultural revival! It is devotion in the secret place to Jesus that leads to perpetual revival! Everything is founded in prayer, and I believe that is how Elijah trained Elisha to flow prophetically and be sensitive to the voice of God. The greatest inheritance that fathers can give this generation is prayer.

Without prayer, it is just a social gathering. Prayer has become diminished to the most minimal thing in church when it should be held by far as the greatest importance. You welcome the presence of the LORD and cry out to Him in desperation, He responds! We have to get back to prayer and realize that devotion to who He is rather than Him fulfilling our greatest needs is the greatest transition in Him bringing visitations instead of inhabitations. As a Father, He wants to draw closer to us as His children. It is up to respond mutually with the same heartfelt desire and passion!

Prayer will bring revival and sustain it, but just hoping to always be led by the Spirit without being moved with compassion and sensitive to people’s needs creates this self-centered version of Pentecostalism where everyone is simply out to get their fix and refuse to serve others in a heart of humility. We oftentimes ask God to bring revival when the reality is a few eloquent words is masking our responsibility for laboring in the fields, covering our own laziness and selfish ambitions. Revival doesn’t neglect our responsibility to work. While faith without works is dead, works without faith is dead also. Everything must flow from the place of devotion to Christ. Ministry is about serving others and not about chasing publicity or pulpits. It must come from a place of devotion to Christ in the secret place. Otherwise, it becomes an idol! It is time to pursue the glory of the LORD like never before, smashing our idols of selfish agendas and ambitions to raise up sons and daughters of the faith in giving birth to revival legacy!