The Generational Connection
My good friend Larry Sparks just sent me an inspiring and encouraging report of what Holy Spirit is doing in the northwest part of our nation, specifically in the state of Washington. He was just there, speaking for an on-fire church that is experiencing the river of Holy Spirit with great intensity.
God is bringing America full circle, but at a higher level! Many are not aware that the Charismatic and Jesus People movements of the 60s and 70s greatly impacted the entire West Coast of America - California, Oregon, and Washington. This has begun again and will only increase. It is critically important that we pray into this. We want what God does in this outpouring to supersede the previous in power, fruitfulness, and longevity. Here is some background and a few insights that will help us pray more effectively.
The Generation Gap
These two movements occurred in the late 1960s and throughout much of the 1970s, impacting North America, Europe, Central America, Australia, and New Zealand. I have always thought of them as two branches of the same movement, with one impacting the younger generation and the other, the middle-aged and older generations. While both were glorious and fruitful, they also revealed a significant breach between the generations.
This division was commonly known as the “generation gap.” It was not caused by a single, uniform issue, but encompassed political beliefs, cultural tastes, social norms, and expectations about authority, education, and personal freedom. Sadly, this “generation gap” negatively impacted the fruit of this great two-pronged worldwide outpouring.
The breach was caused by several overlapping phenomena:
The educational system: College attendance surged in the 1960s and beyond. Known for radical ideas in philosophy, sociology, and political science, campuses became hotbeds of challenges to established norms about race, gender, class, morality, religion, and authority.
Civil rights and anti-war movements: Many young people began questioning the legitimacy of older generations’ hierarchical structures and national decisions. This led to deep disillusionment among youth.
Cultural revolutions: Popular music, art, literature, and media celebrated experimentation, sexual liberation, and nonconformity. The rise of rock and roll, folk revival, and the drug culture offered new identities and ways to resist conformity.
Technological and media shifts: Television, film, and the mass availability of information allowed younger audiences to encounter diverse viewpoints and lifestyles, creating a sense of global connectedness and generational difference.
Authority and traditional values came under scrutiny: Many parents and authority figures had grown up in more hierarchical, economically stable times. As their children embraced alternative lifestyles, dissent, and political activism, this generated distrust, conflicts over authority and discipline, and division.
What were some of the outcomes of this? What did the lack of trust produce?
Cultural transformation: The era reshaped popular culture—music, fashion, literature, and media—leading to more permissive attitudes toward sexuality, challenging authority, and celebrating individual expression.
Political polarization and discourse: Debates around war, poverty, and social justice created lasting generational divisions between younger reformists and older traditionalists.
Educational changes: Schools and universities became centers of indoctrination and activism.
Long-term shifts in family dynamics: Shifts toward the family structure, feminism, reproductive rights, marriage, and contraception contributed to new family models and gender roles. At the same time, the idea that youth could and should define their own paths became more accepted.
In summary, the 1960s and 1970s were a tumultuous period, and the generation gap became very significant. It arose from a convergence of diverse issues affecting family, education, politics, and culture. Younger people questioned established authority, challenged social hierarchies, rebelled from past standards, and demanded more freedom. The era reshaped American culture, intensified political discourse, and redefined family.
How This Impacted the Movement
This tumult and generation gap of the 1960s and 70s overlapped with the Jesus People movement, creating two extremes: a wonderful revival amid great turmoil. One costly tragedy of the time was that although multitudes of youth were saved, this did not heal the division, distrust, and deep generational separation. The young people who came to Christ brought with them their different music, dress, free-spiritedness, many of their political ideals, and more. Some of this was actually good and helped break down the existing religious boxes in the church built solely on tradition and preference, rather than Scripture. Contemporary Christian worship is but one example. Many older folks, however, did not like this, however, and resisted the change, wanting the status quo. Traditions, especially religious traditions, don’t change easily.
The youth also brought much of their distrust and disrespect toward the older generation into the church. And, of course, many of the older folks reciprocated that lack of trust. Each wanted the other to change. The truth was that both generations needed to do so. Instead, the generation gap was brought right into this move of God, which was disastrous.
Malachi 4:6 speaks of a curse associated with division between parents and children. (I realize many translations use “fathers,” not “parents,” but I believe the warning includes both fathers and mothers, as several other translations do.) The verse states: “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” KJV
The Charismatic and Jesus People movements experienced the fruit of this curse Malachi spoke of, along with the rest of America. The traditions that come with age met head-on with the zeal of youthfulness. Rather than partnering and producing the explosive fruit God intended through generational synergy, the revival imploded. The older generation’s wisdom and experience couldn’t channel the passion and temper the inexperience of the young; the vision and fire of the sons and daughters couldn’t offset the rut of traditionalism and passivity in the elders.
Many Joshuas couldn’t find their Moseses, Elishas their Elijahs, and Timothys their Pauls. And vice versa. Many of the old grew more stagnant, becoming old wineskins, unable to receive the new wine; many of the youth were captured by false doctrines and built ministries on weak foundations. And much potential fruit for the Kingdom of God was lost.
The Third Great Awakening
My prayer and faith are that this breach will not exist in the coming revival.
For this to be the case, two significant things will have to happen:
We of the older generation will need to listen and advise with humility. Our vision, ways, and methods - of necessity - will not be those of the young. They’ll have God-given dreams and visions, fiery zeal, and fresh creativity. And we must allow them to dream and innovate. They will need our wisdom, yes, but not stubborn, stagnant, how-we-did-things reminders.
The young generation must also listen with humility. Youthful zeal is incomplete without the wisdom that comes only with time. In the Jesus Movement, my generation didn’t know what we didn’t know, which is always a danger for the young. Wisdom comes only through experience and seasoned revelation, not new revelation. God-given dreams and vision for the future, and Holy Spirit-sent fire are not enough to generate 100-fold fruit and long-term reformation. Wisdom must be in the mix.
Believe with me for this synergistic generational alignment in the coming move of God.
Pray with me:
Father, in the coming revival, we want Joshuas to lead with the strength of their Moseses, Elishas to move in the double portion anointing of their Elijahs, and Timothys to build with the wisdom gleaned from their Pauls. You said Joshua had the spirit of wisdom because Moses laid his hands on him (Deuteronomy 34:9). You said Elisha received the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13). You told us that Paul laid hands on Timothy and gave him spiritual gifts (2 Timothy 1:6). Release these connectional impartations many times over in our day. No more generation gaps! Those days are over.
We pray that the elders will lead with humility, wisdom, and the flexibility of new wineskins. And we ask that young people who come to Christ in this great awakening can grow quickly. Break off any and all mindsets that would hold back either generation. Free the young ones from all addictions, gender confusion, deceptions, and wrong ways of thinking. Cause both generations to be truly Christ-like, demonstrating the fruit of Your Spirit in abundance, and experience the greatest revival ever. We pray all of this in Jesus’ name.
Our decree:
We decree that the hearts of the fathers and mothers are turning to the sons and daughters, and the sons and daughters are turning their hearts to the fathers and mothers. (Malachi 4:6)