Fathers as Priests: When the Altar Is Empty
Jerry Adesewo
Today is Father’s Day. A day set aside to honour the men who have taken on the sacred duty of fatherhood. But beyond the well-wishes, the breakfast-in-bed, and the social media celebrations, lies a deeply spiritual question: Where are the fathers on the altar of the family? Because more than being just providers or disciplinarians, fathers are meant to be priests—spiritual stewards of their homes.
READ ALSO:A Call for Revival and Unity in CAC Nigeria and Beyond!
In the divine architecture of family, God assigned a priestly role to the father. The father, by design, is not just the economic backbone of the household but also the spiritual head. He is to be the first to rise in prayer, the first to lay hands in blessing, the first to intercede for his wife and children, and the one to lead the family to God.
But sadly, in many homes today, that altar is empty. The priest is missing.
The Absent Priest
We do not refer only to physical absence—though that, too, is a plague in many families. Fathers have become increasingly absent from the spaces that matter most. Many are absent emotionally, spiritually, or morally, even while living under the same roof.
Some fathers have handed over the entire spiritual responsibility of the home to their wives, assuming that prayer, devotion, and teaching children the fear of God is the mother’s job. Others have been so caught up in the demands of career, ministry, business, or even religion itself, that their home altar lies in ruins.
The effect? A generation of children that grow up fatherless—even with fathers alive. Children with little or no example of how to pray, how to worship, how to seek God—not from pastors on pulpits, but from priests at home. The altar is either cold or broken, and the impact is evident in our churches, schools, and streets.
The Scripture Model
From Genesis through Revelation, Scripture models fatherhood as priesthood. Noah built an altar and offered sacrifice for his household (Genesis 8:20). Abraham, the father of faith, constantly erected altars and interceded for his family (Genesis 12:7, 22:9). Job, the wealthy man of the East, “would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings for each of his children” (Job 1:5), just in case they had sinned unknowingly.
In the New Testament, while Jesus Christ remains the ultimate High Priest, fathers are instructed to “bring up [their children] in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). This is priestly work—teaching, guiding, interceding, blessing.
Unfortunately, many fathers now wait for the Sunday School teacher, the Youth Pastor, or the General Overseer to do what they were divinely assigned to do in the living room, at the dining table, or by the bedside.
A Call Back to the Altar
Dear father, your family needs more than your money—they need your mantle. Your presence at the altar of the home is irreplaceable. Your voice in prayer, your counsel in discipline, your example in worship, carries a weight that even the most anointed preacher cannot replicate.
When fathers pray, children learn to seek God early. When fathers weep before God, children know it is okay to be broken in His presence. When fathers lead family devotions, bless their children before school, and share Scriptures over breakfast, they plant seeds that will bear fruit long after they are gone.
It is not enough to be a biological father—you must be a spiritual father. Let your children know you as a man who fears the Lord. Let your wife know you as the one who leads the family altar, not just the bank account. And let the heavens know you as a priest who ministers daily in his own sanctuary—his home.
What Happens When the Altar is Empty
The absence of priest-fathers leads to spiritual disorientation. Sons become insecure. Daughters seek affirmation elsewhere. Wives become spiritually exhausted. And the home, intended to be a sanctuary, becomes a battlefield or a graveyard of spiritual potential.
When the altar is empty, rebellion takes root. Confusion thrives. Ungodliness creeps in unnoticed. We begin to raise a generation that respects religion but does not revere God—because they saw no fire on the home altar.
And while we blame society, the media, peer pressure, or even the church, the truth is: the altar has long been empty, and the priest nowhere in sight.
Fatherhood as Revival
Perhaps this Father’s Day, the most urgent gift we can offer fathers is not perfume or a necktie, but a challenge—go back to the altar. If the fire has gone out, rebuild it. If you were never taught how to be a spiritual father, seek mentorship, study God’s Word, and ask for grace.
Your past failure does not disqualify you. Your weaknesses don’t render you unworthy. Every father can begin again. Like Elijah, rebuild the altar (1 Kings 18:30). Lay the sacrifice of your life, time, and obedience on it. Call down fire. And let your children see the God of their father.
Remember, even as a Minister on the altar of God, your family are your first congregation.
Father’s Day Gift for Fathers
Today, as the world celebrates fathers, let us remember that the highest honour is not in being called Dad, but in being known as Priest of the Home. When that role is fulfilled, generations are preserved, destinies are shaped, and legacies are sealed in eternity.
So, dear fathers, return to the altar. Let the incense of prayer rise again. Let the Word of God echo in your home again. Let the oil of leadership flow again. You are not just a man. You are God’s appointed priest.
And when the altar is no longer empty, heaven will rejoice, hell will tremble, and your children will bless your name.
Happy Father’s Day!
Fathers as Priests: When the Altar Is Empty