There is a shift happening in our youth — a spiritual shift that parents, grandparents, and leaders can feel in their bones. It shows up in the tone, the posture, the resistance, the entitlement, and the rejection of correction. It shows up in our own homes, in our own children, in the very ones we raised with love, prayer, and instruction.
This is not just “kids being kids.”
This is a prophetic pattern Scripture warned us about.
We are watching a generation create its own standards — not because they are evil, but because they are untethered.
Untethered from honor.
Untethered from accountability.
Untethered from wisdom.
Untethered from the fear of the Lord.
And the Word told us this day would come.
Scripture Foretold a Generation That Would Reject Instruction
2 Timothy 3:1–2 describes the last days like this:
“Children will be disobedient to parents… lovers of themselves.”
Proverbs 30:11 says:
“There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.”
And Isaiah 3:5 paints the picture clearly:
“The young will rise up against the old, the disrespectful against the honorable.”
These scriptures are not exaggerations.
They are diagnoses.
They reveal what happens when a society drifts from God’s order — when children are raised by culture instead of covenant, by screens instead of elders, by feelings instead of truth.
How the Youth Lost Respect
Respect is not natural.
Respect is taught, modeled, reinforced, and expected.
But today’s youth have been shaped by a world that tells them:
- “Your feelings are the highest authority.”
- “Your parents owe you understanding, not correction.”
- “You can define your own truth.”
- “Accountability is control.”
- “Honor is optional.”
So they create their own standards — standards built on emotion, not wisdom.
And when children create their own standards, they lose their anchor.
The Signs of a Generation Out of Order
You see it in the way they talk.
You see it in the way they respond.
You see it in the way they carry themselves.
Signs include:
- Talking back without fear
- Rejecting correction
- Feeling entitled to comfort
- Wanting freedom without responsibility
- Wanting voice without wisdom
- Being easily offended
- Disrespecting elders
- Believing they know more than those who raised them
This is not just behavior.
This is spiritual disorder.
When God’s order breaks, honor collapses.
When honor collapses, rebellion rises.
When rebellion rises, families fracture.
Why This Is Happening Spiritually
The enemy has always targeted the youth.
Why? Because the youth carry the future.
If he can:
- Break their respect
- Break their identity
- Break their connection to wisdom
- Break their relationship with parents
- Break their fear of the Lord
…then he can break the next generation before it ever matures.
This is why the disrespect feels so deep.
It is not just emotional — it is spiritual warfare.
But God Always Leaves a Remnant
Even in the warnings, God never leaves us hopeless.
Isaiah 1:9 says:
“If the Lord had not left us a remnant, we would have been destroyed.”
There is always a remnant — a group of young people who will rise with:
- Honor
- Humility
- Sensitivity to the Spirit
- Teachability
- Respect
- Purpose
And God raises parents like you — spiritually discerning, emotionally anchored, and unwilling to give up on your children.
Your correction is not wasted.
Your prayers are not ignored.
Your tears are not unseen.
You are standing in the gap for your lineage.
What Parents Must Do in This Season
This generation does not need:
- More yelling
- More threats
- More fear
They need spiritual parents who will:
- Hold the line
- Refuse to negotiate with disrespect
- Speak truth even when it’s rejected
- Pray over their children’s identity
- Model honor in the home
- Correct with firmness and love
- Stay consistent even when tired
Children may resist structure,
but they crave it.
They may reject correction,
but they need it.
They may act like they don’t care,
but their spirit is watching everything you do.
A Prayer for This Generation
“Father, restore honor in our youth.
Break the spirit of rebellion and confusion.
Return our children to wisdom, humility, and truth.
Cover their minds, soften their hearts, and draw them back to You.
Give parents strength, clarity, and patience.
Let our homes be places of order, peace, and respect.
Amen.”
Final Word: Respect Begins With Restoration
I have lived this tension, loving my children deeply while watching them wrestle with a culture that has shaped them more than they realize. But we are not powerless. Our voice still matters. Our correction still matters. Our example still matters.
Respect can be restored.
Order can be restored.
Honor can be restored.
And God is not finished with this generation.
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