There is a move of God to raise up a fathering spirit among men. He can be seen as a Father, and this is a powerful role He has given us to model as men. But it is being attacked more profoundly than in any other generation.
I am prophesying that there is going to be a major move, and organizations are rising up right now that will have power to gather men and cause them to come into agreement, covenant and the purpose that they were made for. Over the next 10 years, you will begin to see this new move emerge into stadium events and in media geared towards men and in the church there will be counseling centers that will raise up for men to be men.
There will be new tools coming to combat pornography which destroys our ability to connect in our heart and stay attached, because pornography is one of the great detachers. We are going to see a great move both in the main stream media, but also in the church against pornography, not for the sake of just battling, but for the sake of winning the hearts of men to become men again. Some of the neurological damage that has happened through pornography, we will begin to see a restoration movement from God’s heart hit psychology, psychiatry, churches and schools. Pornography, in just a short time from now, will start to be viewed how society looks at cigarettes and vaping. It will be known for its damaging effects and there will be mainstream campaigns against it.
God is going to help us to take back the ground that has been stolen from His intention towards men in our society. The church will be one of the places that men can truly find their identity and because of that we will have more authority even in some local places because of the men we produce.
Sometimes we can get so wrecked by things that happen in society or culture around us, like the sexual brokenness, that we see everywhere we turn and we don’t know what to do or where to put it. I want to encourage you to make sure you are focused on the bigger spiritual issue, because that is the root system in society for why these things are happening in the first place.
God’s nature helps us to become the men we are supposed to be. He is also going to be raising up new anointing on ministries that help men to overcome adversity, and become the men they are supposed to be. We are going to see a number of national and international movements that have never existed on this level before.
Scholar Brad Wilcox called attention to the work of criminologists Michael Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi, which found the absence of fathers to be one of the “most powerful predictors of crimes .” He explained that fathers are role models for their sons who maintain authority and discipline, thereby helping them develop self-control and empathy toward others, key character traits lacking in violent youth.
Here are some stats:
- 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (U.S. Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5x the average.
- 90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32x the average.
- 85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20x the average. (Center for Disease Control)
- 80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14x the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol. 14, p. 403-26)
- 71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9x the average. (National Principals Association Report)
- Father Factor in Education – Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.
- Children with fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.
- Children with fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.
- Children with fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.
- Children with fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.
- 75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10x the average.
These statistics should be mind-blowing to you if you have never heard this before. We have a mandate to build fathers and sons, people who will be real men. This should be what we are basing programs on and it should be what we are engaging our local communities and our social work on … but it’s not. The root issues of a lot of what we are facing is due to fatherlessness according to government organizations.
God is a father so He understands how to impart a fathers heart. Jesus is a bridegroom and understands how to be a husband, and God is going to impart those things into men who’ve been depleted or they’ve never had a model in their lives. But, one revelation of truth can dispel all the lies that someone has believed.
Shawn Bolz is a TV host, author, producer and a Christian minister. He has been leading conversations in the church, entertainment industry and in social justice that have helped inspire people around the world. Shawn’s deeply connected yet humorous style of speaking, media hosting and coaching, as well as his ability to help everyday people connect to hearing God’s voice, has brought him around the world to meet with churches, CEOs, entertainers and world leaders. To find out more, listen to Shawn’s full podcast on Prophetic Perspectives with Shawn Bolz.
