“WHAT IS A GENERATIONAL CURSE?”
A generational curse is an uncleansed iniquity that has been passed down from one generation to the next, affecting the members of the family and all who come into a relationship with that family.
As we look closer at what a curse is from a biblical view, it is God’s “recompense, “payment,” or “pay back” in the life of a person and his descendants as a result of iniquity.
Apostle Kim Daniels from her book entitled ‘BREAKING THE POWER OF FAMILIAR SPIRITS,’ says that, ” A generational curse, or family curse is a harmful pattern in a family that is passed from family member to family member and from generation to generation. She says,” generational curses include addictions, illnesses and diseases, broken family relationships, mental and emotional problems such as irrational fears and anxiety, financial problems, poverty, accidents, early death, suicide, strife, discord, and other types of torment that steal your peace and block the blessings of God from your life.” She also says that, rebellion and disobedience to God’s Word are two of the most common ways that people invite generational curses and other demonics assignments into their lives.”
In his book entitled ‘BREAK EVERY CHAIN: 25 STRONGHOLDS AND HOW TO DEFEAT THEM,’ Apostle John Eckhardt says, “Many of the obstacles believers encounter are generational. Sins such as pride, rebellion, idolatry, witchcraft, and lust open the door for evil spirits to operate in families through generations.” He says that, generational demons of destruction, failure, poverty, infirmity, and addiction are major strongholds in the lives of millions of people as well as weaknesses and tendencies which can also be inherited from the sins of the fathers.
Let’s face it, sin is never fair, but it is predictable. Sins that are repeatedly committed are like weeds planted in the heart. You can mow them down, but until they are understood and then dealt with, they will crop back up. Iniquities are like the seeds of weeds—they may die, as our forefathers have, but they will return. Whether the seeds are planted by you and I, our parents, or our ancestors, the result is a crop of inherited weaknesses or family iniquities.
Proverbs 26:2 Amplified Bible
Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving].
In Exodus Chapter 20, verse 5, God says, “You shall not bow down to them or worship them (indulging in idol worship); for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.”
Remember, the law of iniquity states that the sins of the fathers will continue to the third and fourth generation for those who hate God. But what about those of us who love God? For us, God has provided a way to reverse the curse of iniquity in the family bloodline. Just as iniquities are passed through the bloodline, our exemption from the law of iniquity is through blood, the blood sacrifice of our covenant with God. You see, under the old covenant that sacrifice was made through the sacrifice of bulls and goats, but under the new covenant, the sacrifice that Jesus paid with His own blood cleanses us from sin and iniquity.
Luke 22:20 New International Version
In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
You and I no longer have to live bound by iniquities and generational curses, being defeated by sin, because Jesus became both our “sin offering” and the “scapegoat” for our iniquities. His physical body was sacrificed and His perfect blood was offered to God for our sins and iniquities. He took our iniquities and buried them in the sea of forgetfulness. Now, we have something better than the “types” and “shadows” of the Old Testament; we have a greater and better covenant in Jesus.
Isaiah 53:6 Amplified Bible
All of us like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, each one, to his own way; But the Lord has caused the wickedness of us all [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] to fall on Him [instead of us].
Galatians 3:13-14 New King James Version
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree,” that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
From these verses, we find that Jesus took on Himself the curse of our iniquities. He became cursed that you and I could be free and blessed.
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued an ‘Emancipation Proclamation’ declaring “all persons held as slaves within any of the Confederate states are henceforward free.” As Christians, you and I have an “emancipation proclamation,” which is the document of our freedom and deliverance from generational curses. It can be found in Isaiah Chapter 53, verses 5, 11:
Isaiah 53:5, 11 King James Version
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…He [God] shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant [Jesus] justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Why was Jesus “bruised” for our iniquities? Because our iniquities, our inherent weaknesses, are like bruises. You see, natural bruises leave a discoloration. They usually hurt the most when you first get them, then they become discolored. Bruises can go very deep, even to the bone. Bruises of the heart— our iniquities—can begin with a crisis such as an illness, abuse, or trauma that may begin a pattern of sin which is passed on to the next generation. Unlike broken bones that can be set or a wound that can be sewn up, bruises can’t be treated. A medical doctor will tell you to live with the bruise and it will eventually go away. What the doctor means is that your body will repair itself. Your blood provides nourishment to the body’s cells and takes away the waste. Just as your natural blood brings health to areas that are bruised and moves waste, the blood of Jesus is required to heal the bruises of the heart and deliver us from our iniquities. Bruises of the heart just don’t go away, we must apply the blood of Jesus for complete recovery.
A better example of this, is what happens to a piece of fruit that gets bruised. If you drop an apple, it bruises. The truth of the matter is, when an apple is bruised, it discolors, it begins to rot, and eventually the entire apple spoils. Without the help of Jesus, the bruises we receive from our iniquities, if not dealt with, will cause our heart to rot and will affect our entire life. The good news is that Jesus bore our bruises—He bore our iniquities. Jesus said in Luke Chapter 4, verse 18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he [God] hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised.”
EIGHT STEPS TO BREAKING
GENERATIONAL CURSES IN YOUR LIFE
1. Accept Jesus as Lord and Savior
Faith in Christ and being born again breaks the power of sin and curses.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” [2 Corinthians 5:17].
2. Repent of All Sin
Bring before God anything in your life that may have opened a door to the devil, including involvement with witchcraft, addiction, sexual sin, etc. Repent and ask God to forgive you. Ask Him to cleanse you with the blood of Jesus and to break the enemy’s power off your life.
3. Forgive Your Ancestors
Forgiveness is key to breaking curses. Forgive those in past generations who committed sins that brought curses on your family. Ask God to forgive their sins.
4. Renounce All Curses
Act out your faith by renouncing all generational, spoken, behavioral, and ancestral curses over your life in Jesus’ name. Ask God to break their power over you.
5. Plead the Blood of Jesus
The blood of Jesus breaks the enemy’s hold on your life. Plead the power of Jesus’ blood over your life and declare that it sets you free from every curse.
6. Ask for Deliverance
If demons attached themselves to your family because of curses, ask God to drive them out. Jesus has authority over all spirits, and His Holy Spirit living in you is greater than any demonic presence.
7. Make a Covenant with God
Declare God’s promises for your life and commit to living in obedience to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Choose to walk in blessing and freedom.
8. Live in Freedom
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” [Galatians 5:1].
In closing, walk in the confidence that the blood of Jesus covers you, and cling to God’s Word for victory over any lingering curse.