The Power of Passionate Intention pinpoints the position of the modern Church during this historic season of transition. As the world plunges into religious turmoil, cultural division, and economic uncertainty, the Church is being groomed for its finest hour—the era of double-portion anointing. This anointing will usher in a supernatural move of the Holy Spirit that will far surpass all that has gone before.

With God-given depth of insight and prophetic vision, author and pastor Dr. Mark Chironna draws relevant and timely parallels from a significant season in ancient times—the passing of the mantle from Elijah to Elisha.

He also took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him... And when he also had struck the waters, they were divided here and there; and Elisha crossed over. …"The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha…” (2 Kings 2:13-15 NASB).

You will be riveted by this exciting account of the monumental shift foreshadowing the release of divine power on today’s world stage. This message balances Bible study with insights that reach into the practical realm and inspires believers to live what they have learned.

Today’s world is in transition. Global shifts are occurring on a broad scale. Fundamental changes are being realized in the arenas of politics, finance, and international relations. We are in an era where it seems no stone is left unturned. Everywhere, the familiar is giving way to the unknown.

As Scripture has shown time and again, what happens in the natural realm is a precursor of what is coming in the supernatural. While the world hurtles through global transition, the Church approaches its own crossroads, a spiritual line of demarcation—the end of one 500-year period and entry into another.

God has often marked spiritual epochs in 500-year increments that begin with powerful, supernatural moves. I believe this transition will be no exception. What God is bringing to the Body of Christ is a magnificent milestone in His 1,000-year process of restoring to the Church the pure message of the cross and of grace that had been all but lost to the medieval Church prior to the Reformation.

I believe that what is coming will rival what took place during the Great Reformation! Once again, a tidal wave of His glory, a kind of 500-year spiritual flood, a whirlwind that lifts the sails of His people and carries them into new waters will usher in the new. Unlike natural storms that wreak havoc and wreck lives, this storm is not to be feared. Instead, it is a tidal surge in which we are to immerse ourselves with abandon.

What’s coming is a season during which one generation will pass from the scene and leave the legacy of the anointing to the generation that follows. It is a pivotal time comparable to the days in which the mantle dropped from Elijah’s shoulders as he exited the earth in a chariot of fire. In a great biblical transfer of the anointing, Elisha took up his master’s coat and succeeded him. Not only did Elisha inherit the anointing of Elijah—he received a double portion, just as he requested! (See Second Kings 2:9.)

From our twenty-first-century perspective, the Charismatic Renewal (which began in the 1960s and has spawned subsequent renewals and revivals ever since) can be compared to the ministry of Elijah.1 As we proceed through the various moves of God, I believe the Church is positioned for a season that parallels Elisha’s ministry—and what is occurring today will, in its fullness, far surpass all that has gone before!

Hence The Power of Passionate Intention: The Elisha Principle.

But what is the principle at the center of this book? Briefly, the Elisha Principle is the profound and powerful tenet that operated in Elisha’s life and thrust him onto the front lines of God’s army.

That is where we want to be: in the front lines…on the cutting edge…in the thick of God’s plan. If we desire to see and be part of a great move of God in our time, the same principle that governed Elisha’s life must govern ours.

The Heart of the Principle

The Elisha Principle is a spiritual code revealed in the godly character of those who stand firm for the promise of God. It is the mindset that says, "Come hell or high water, I will not tarry here. I’m going to the next level. God has promised the power of breakthrough, and I’m breaking through. He has promised a yoke-crushing anointing, and I will not leave without it.”

The budding prophet, Elisha, operated in this principle as he was tested by his mentor, Elijah, at three pivotal points in their relationship. Three times, Elijah told Elisha to stay behind while he (Elijah) moved on. But Elisha, who knew his destiny was connected to Elijah’s, refused to leave his mentor’s side. Instead, Elisha declared each time: "As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you” (2 Kings 2:2,4,6).

Despite God’s call on his life, Elisha faced resistance. Every man or woman destined for a greater revelation of God’s power will face resistance. God allows it and uses it to groom us for His anointing. Our response to resistance is crucial: will we retreat in the face of difficulty or will we advance?

Elisha was tenacious. His response to Elijah’s testing revealed his intent, determination, and character—the character of a man molded by the hand of the living God. As long as Elijah was alive and God was with him, Elisha would cleave to his mentor.

Elisha understood that life in the Spirit is marked by movement; stagnancy is evidence of death and decay. Elisha was not interested in clinging to a form or tradition whose usefulness had passed. He knew doing so would accomplish nothing for the purposes of God.

Prepared to Dance

[Elijah] found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you” (1 Kings 19:19-20).

Elisha was positioned for the spiritual changing of the guard. He was "found” by Elijah. God’s instructions had been clear: "Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place” (1 Kings 19:16).

At Abel-meholah, "the meadow of dancing,”2 Elisha realized immediately that Elijah had not only what he needed, but what Israel needed for the next move of God. The "attraction” was mutual: Elijah knew Elisha was the one God had chosen to carry forward the legacy of His anointing.

The two men met on what I call the path of synchronicity—the place where connections are made, not by accident, but by meaningful coincidence. Elisha was found because he was ready to be found. He was prepared. He had put his hand to the plow. He made full use of his resources (plowing not with 1 yoke of oxen, but with 12). He held nothing back; he kissed his family good-bye and left with Elijah.

Abel-meholah was the place where Elisha learned to "dance” with the anointed one and his anointing. It was the place where two men of kindred faith connected—the crossroad at which Elisha had to decide whether to stay or go—whether to be content to tarry or compelled to move on with God.

Follow God’s Lead

We, too, must recognize when it is time to stay and when it is time to move on, just as the Israelites did on their journey to the Promised Land (see Exod. 40:36-37). When the cloud hovered above the tent of meeting, the people stayed put. But when the cloud moved and Moses cried, "Rise up, O Lord!” (Num. 10:35), the Israelites packed up their belongings and followed the Shekinah glory.

Our daily lives are to be guided the same way—by following God’s lead. This is also true for the Church; as His Body, we are called to move when He calls us forward. Too often, the greatest hindrance to the move of the Spirit is not the devil, but the Church itself!

This is the season for God’s Elishas to cleave to His purposes. Yet, history shows that, at the height of every renewal or revival, many of God’s people remain untouched by it. Instead of moving forward with God, they hold on to the "good old days.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, many could not accept God’s sovereign visitation because He saved young people who wore long hair and faded jeans. Many Pentecostals even believed it was unscriptural for those of other denominations to have a Pentecostal experience. In the decades since, other squabbles have erupted in the family of God, and many have taken issue with the ways in which God has chosen to move among His people.

May God help us to be adaptable and pliable in this hour. May He give us the spirit and determination of Elisha to cleave to His plan and embrace the coming shift. May we become a company of Elishas who operate in the double-portion anointing, transform the atmosphere, and leave a blessing behind us!

Points to Ponder

1. In your own words, describe what the Elisha Principle is.

2. "Every man or woman destined for a greater revelation of God’s power will face resistance.” List the types of things that have provided resistance to you or to other people of God in the past and how these things were or could be overcome.

3. "Too often, the greatest hindrance to the move of the Spirit is not the devil, but the Church itself.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Endnotes

1. Earle E. Cairns, Christianity Through the Centuries (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), 489.

2. Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. CD-ROM. Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc. s.v. "Abel-meholah,” (OT 65).