Breaking Family Strongholds

[Word of Life]

I thought by reading this article below may help some, whom are hindered in their relationship with God. I found this article helped me tremendously.


Breaking Family Strongholds
Breaking Generational Curses


Exodus 34:6-7 - "And He [the Lord] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' "

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 - "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."

Generational curses are judgments that are passed on to individuals because of sins perpetuated in a family in a number of generations. Generational curses are similar to original sin curses because they can be passed down on a generational basis. They differ in that generational curses do not impose eternal judgment. They bring judgment or bondage during an individual's life, reducing the quality of life, until that individual addresses the sin issues that put the curses into place.

Moses addressed this issue when the Israelites were preparing to enter the promised land. He told the new generation that was preparing to enter in that they would not enter unless the dealt with their own personal sins and also the sins of their fathers. The account can be found in Leviticus 26:39-42

"Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their fathers' sin they will waste away. But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers - their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies - then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land."

As I have said in other writings, curses take away the quality of life. They can bring failure, shame, sickness and even physical death. They are temporal in nature, causing much grief. They are administered to get our attention and encourage us to turn back to God. Those who are humbled by them, repent and find restoration and renewed freedom from the Lord. Those who become angry, self-righteous and rebel against what God has permitted, and thus remain unrepentant, go deeper into bondage and darkness.

The Scriptures reveal a two prong approach for dealing with generational bondage. We have to address (1) Personal sins and also (2) Generational sins (in the family).

At this point, I know that many Christians will reason, "I thought that all the past is under the blood when I received Jesus as my Savior!" As far as your salvation and eternal destiny is concerned, that is true. But our enemy loves to cause us grief when there are sins connected to our lives (personal or generational) that has not been addressed through repentance and confession. Do you remember that time when you received Jesus into your life? You acknowledged your sin in a general way and asked Him to be your Savior and forgive you and cleanse you. The Lord was very gracious with your general confession, but later on the Holy Spirit began to convict you of sins in your past. You were led to repent of them and confess them specifically to the Lord. Why did the Spirit do that? He wanted you to be free of any legal claims of the enemy upon your life. It had nothing to do with your salvation, but the quality and freedom of your new life in Christ.

Why does God permit the enemy to do be such a hindrance? Because the Lord, in His sovereignty, can use even the enemy's activities to accomplish something good in our lives. Some of the effects include chastisement, testing of faith, a guard against complacency, humility, and the motivation to pursue a sanctified life.

How do we begin to address the problem of generational curses and bondages? First, you must develop two sin lists - one personal and one for your family (including parents and the members of each of their families). You must be specific and thorough. Take your time. Go before the Lord and ask Him to help you prepare those lists.

The following is a list of sin categories to help you prepare your lists. Check the following:

IDOLATRY: _Eastern Religions (list) _Meditation _Chanting/mantras _Cults (list them) _Secret Orders/Lodges _Material things _Money _People

OCCULT: _Astrology _Fortune telling (various types) _Ouija Board _Seances _Dungeons & Dragons (or similar games - board or computer) _Hypnosis/Self-hypnosis _ESP _Crystals _Psychic healing _Occult literature _Occult beliefs _OOBE (Out of body experiences attempted/experienced) _Spiritism _Parapsychology _Psychic beliefs and practices _channeling _mind control

WITCHCRAFT & SATANISM: _Incantations _Spells _Dedications _Rituals _Ritual abuse _Blasphemy/Mockery _Literature _Beliefs _Sacrifices _Perversions _Magic _Santeria _Voodoo _Wicca _ Powwow healing witchcraft (Pennsylvania Dutch) _Maloike (Italian witchcraft) _Druidism (Celtic witchcraft)

SEXUAL SINS: _Fornication _Adultery _Pornography _Rape _Incest _Lust _Masturbation _Homosexuality _Abortion _(edited by LLJ) _Paedophilia _Exhibitionism _Abuse _Fantasy _Other perversions

DRUGS/ADDICTIONS: _Illegal (list) _Alcohol abuse _Smoking (abuse of body) _Prescription drug dependency _Food dependency

BELIEVING SATAN'S LIES: _Regarding self-image _Regarding God _Regarding religious beliefs _Regarding people _Regarding behavior _Regarding world standards and philosophies

FEAR: _Fear of failure _Fear of success _Fear of Rejection _Miscellaneous fears (list) _Anxiety _Worry _Despair _Hopelessness

UNBELIEF: _Lack of trust _Double-mindedness _Doubts _Skepticism

DECEIT/DISHONESTY: _Lying _Stealing _Exaggeration

PRIDE: _Self-righteousness _Self-focused _Vanity _Arrogance

REBELLION: _Disobedience _Disrespect _Self-will _Desire to be in Control _Stubbornness

ANGER: _Hatred _Bitterness _Resentment _unforgiveness _Rage _Revenge _Slander/Gossip _Critical/Judgmental _Blame-shifting _Prejudice/Bigotry _Malice

WISHING DEATH: _For self _For others

VIOLENT ACTS: _Attempted suicide _Abuse _Murder

VULGAR & ABUSIVE LANGUAGE: _Cursing (Lord's name in vain) _Sarcasm _Condemning _Off color stories and jokes

MUSIC: (Regarding content of message or performers' lifestyles) _Occult _Satanic _Sexual _Rebellion _Drug oriented _Focus on Death

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: (with roots in false religious beliefs or with psychic/occult influences) _Reiki _Therapeutic Touch _meditation techniques (emptying the mind) _Transcendental Meditation _acupuncture _acupressure _sonopuncture _iridology _chromotherapy _sound therapy _kinesiology _radionics _astrologic medicine _orgonomy _bioenergetics _biofeedback _hypnotic regression _reflexology _polarity therapy _Rolfing _Do'in _Shiatsu _yoga _Kirilian photography _autogenics _iridology _Ayurvedic Medicine _Tai Chi _Qigong _Traditional Chinese medicine _visualization techniques _psychic diagnosis _psychic healing

UNSCRIPTURAL SEEKING OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS OR SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE: _Priming the pump to receive tongues _Accepting any personal experience without testing it by the Word of God _Receiving personal prophecies without testing them and having them confirmed by God and the body of Christ.

This is only a guide to aid you in preparing your sin lists. It is not comprehensive. Not every sin is listed. Add whatever is applicable to your situation.

Make sure that you are truly repentant as you confess these sins. Otherwise the confession means very little. It is important to be repentant on behalf of your family. If you continue to be angry and bitter towards your family, your prayers will not be effective. Ask God to give you a spirit of forgiveness.

After you have confessed all sins on each list, renounce any claims of Satan upon your life in the name of Jesus Christ. Declare that you have placed all his claims against you under the blood of Jesus Christ, your Savior.

Then spend a time of worship and praise to the Lord. Thank Him in advance for the deliverance and healing that He is going to bring into your life.

Don't expect everything to come at once. The Lord will unfold to you new freedoms in the days that follow. Don't compare yourself with anyone else. His work in your life will be different than in other lives. He knows what you need and when you need it. Keep close accounts with the Lord. Stay in His Word and in prayer. Stand against the enemy. When you have new freedoms, remember that the enemy will visit you trying to steal them away from you. Keep your eyes on the Lord. The Lord loves you and He is faithful.

 

[ladylovesJesus]

This is very good information.

I was set free from stuff when I had Christian counselling at my old church over a period of time.

We do need to keep short accounts with God.

God bless :rainbow: :rose:

 

[Faithin1]

I think we can all relate to this. Praise the Lord, we are not what we used to be. Thanks for sharing.

 

[monkeys]

WordOfLife,

Thank you so much for posting this. So many people do not realize these might be the caused to the problems in their lives. Thank you so much for taking the time for posting this...I really mean it.

Today I was listening to the Christian radio station in my town and the pastor was talking about generational curses...he said that there is no Christian that can have a curse. I completely agree with this. But I have a question that confused me.

What if you get the cursed from family members who aren't saved? My parents weren't saved until a few years after I was born. They were living a life of sin and even doing witchcraft. How does that apply? Does this mean that immediately after you become a Christian all those curses are broken off?

Thank again!

Blessings,
monkeys

 

[Apple]

This was fascinating, but also challenging reading.

Exodus 34:6-7 - "And He [the Lord] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, 'The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' "

Now this is scarey reading. I deserve to be punished for my sin. I know that, but to be punished for the sins in my family going back 3 or 4 generations, I don't get that! How can I, for instance, be responsible for what my grandfather said, didn't say, did or didn't do?

The list of sins in this post is really useful to go through systematically for myself and confess and repent of them, but how can I do that for my family? As I have just said, I have no idea of what sins were committed!



"Generational curses are judgments that are passed on to individuals because of sins perpetuated in a family in a number of generations."

Who puts the curse on the family? The article goes on to ask: Why does God permit the enemy to do be such a hindrance? Perhaps that has answered my question.

"Curses take away the quality of life. They can bring failure, shame, sickness and even physical death."

So, for instance, there are families that are prone to cancer. You read of women having their breasts removed before they get breast cancer as their sister, mum, aunt and gran all died from breast cancer and the doctors have said that the likelihood of them getting breast cancer is very high.
Is that what is meant by a generational curse?

How would I know if there was a generational curse on my family?



How are generational curses different from learned behaviour within a family? eg people say when a man is unfaithful to his wife - 'Ah! He is just like his father (who had also been unfaithful)!'



The list of sins "is only a guide to aid you in preparing your sin lists. It is not comprehensive."
- Well, it is comprehensive enough for me!!!!!!! I have got enough to work from with this list!!!!!! LoL!!!!!!!



My question, however, is: Aren't I likely to end up a quivering wreck if I go through this list by myself? Won't it be a bit like DIY counselling??!!



Sorry to have asked so many questions, but as I said at the beginning, it is fascinating, but challenging reading!

 

[jiggyfly]

For everyone who is in Christ, no curse, including those labeled as generational, have no power. One, Jesus became a curse for us, two, who can curse what God has blessed, and three, we are made new in Christ and ALL old things are passed away. When ever you find yourself being overpowered by the enemy or evil things it is because you have unsubmitted yourself to God.

James 4:7
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

To say that those who are in Christ can suffer and fail because of curses of any kind is to say that these things are more powerful than Christ, Himself. I do believe we have to overcome generation weaknesses, most are do to the conditions of our upbringing, but this is just dealing with the flesh and is done by denying self and taking up your cross, dying daily and following Jesus.

 

[Apple]

Thank you for your reply. Your post makes total sense other than you seem to be contradicting the article which I was advised to read having asked about the term 'renewing the mind' in the 'Seriously ill' thread.

Ummmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

Maybe it is my understanding of what you have written or what the article says, but the two seem to me to be 180 degrees from each other.

Ummmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

Thank you in anycase for taking the time to reply.

 

[jiggyfly]

Thank you for your reply. Your post makes total sense other than you seem to be contradicting the article which I was advised to read having asked about the term 'renewing the mind' in the 'Seriously ill' thread.

Ummmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

Maybe it is my understanding of what you have written or what the article says, but the two seem to me to be 180 degrees from each other.

Ummmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

Thank you in anycase for taking the time to reply.

I am not sure what article you are talking about and who encouraged you to read it. The two maybe opposed, but again I don't know without reading the article myself. What thread is it in and who's post?

 

[Apple]

The article is post No.1 on this thread.

 

[jiggyfly]

The article is post No.1 on this thread.

Who advised you to read it? You can't believe everything everyone tells you.

 

[spiritfilledjm]

I suggest reading/listening to Generational Sins and Curses by Graeme Walsh from International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO. He is dead on when it comes to that stuff.

 

[Apple]

Thank you for the kind suggestion, but I guess that it will be too intense and deep for my level of understanding.

:embarasse

I would prefer it if somebody could just answer my questions!!!!!!!



This is not laziness. I'm just struggling to cope with everything as it is at the moment and do not want/need any more challenges!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dreamer]

I am tired of hearing about generational curses.

Live for God in your daily life. Love Him with all your heart and mind and soul.

Love covers a multitude of sins. Focus on Jesus. Don't focus on generational curses. The word "generational" has been added to the word "curse" and people spout off about it like it's in the bible.

Yes, God says in the Old Testament that He will bless us if we are obedient, and He will NOT bless us if we are disobedient. It is as simple as that.

We have tendencies to share the same sins and temptations our parents and grandparents were subject to, but we are not exactly the same people.

My parents both tended toward anxiety and depression.

I suppose you would say I have a generational curse???

I tend to think that I am free of anxiety and depression now, because Jesus has set me free and I'm not going to focus on praying up some written-up prayer by some nervous person who thinks curses go flying around the air, just looking for someone to land on.

Jesus says, "He whom the Lord sets free is free indeed."

 

[Apple]

Gosh!

:embarasse

Sorry!

:embarasse

Didn't mean to be confrontational!

:embarasse

I was just following the advice from somebody else here on this forum.

:embarasse

So what do I do now?

:embarasse

I guess that there are 2 schools of thought on this subject.

:embarasse

I don't like confrontations!



I think that I will just go and bury my head in the sand.



I think that I am going to give up asking questions because it just leads to problems.

 

[jiggyfly]

Don't stop asking questions Apple, Just be aware that this is a forum and that people here including the moderators differ in their beliefs, biblical understandings and opinions. We are all still growing in the Lord and dying to self. We might be at different levels of maturity also. I know it can be confusing at times but the best way to avoid this is to go to the Lord and His word about everything you read here and allow the HolySpirit to bring witness to what is being said before you believe it.

There are a lot of people on the forums that are teaching things that they have been taught but is void of HolySpirit revelation and witness. Many of these things are the teachings of men rather than the truths of the HolySpirit. This is where we can get into trouble. So just like Dreamer said, "focus on Christ". Some of what is discussed on the forums has no spiritual value anyway. I know it is difficult to comprehend everything that is being said so just rest your mind and allow the HolySpirit to manifest His Peace to you. I imagine everyone here including myself think we know what the most important thing you need to learn next, but really Father knows whats best for Apple. God bless

 

[Apple]

Thank you for your kind reply Jiggyfly. I take 'on board' what you are saying.

Thanks

 

[Word of Life]

Please don't get upset Apple. This article helped me at the time of posting, as it helped me to understand certain things that were going on in my life, so I thought it would bless and help others, who are having hindrances in their own lives, but we are all different.

Many a time I have seen people in the counseling section having problems, and sometimes, one needs to look at themselves, asking, is it something I am doing wrong or could it have been a family curse. But we can all make mistakes, and we just need to be put back on the right track again. It's a narrow road and most of us are used to driving and riding the major highway.

Mat 7:14 because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

God also says in a scripture, don't believe all spirits either, and He did say test them.

1Jo 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Now I test everything, sorry but that’s the way I am. and I also question everything too, I don't put half the questions I would like to put up on this forum, as I think people would think I have gone absolutely potty.

In my family history, adultery, strong willed, divorce and (slight depression, unworthiness) is very prominent. I fully believe these are curses (only my point of view) and the only way to break these curses, is by following what God wants us to do and being obedient to Him.

This makes it very hard for me, because I am not happy in my situation, but I just take a day at a time and ask God for strength and He gets me through each day and that’s all that matters.

 

[Apple]

Thank you for your kind advice. I appreciate the time that it has taken you to write this post.

Thanks

:girl_hug:

 

[Lucky Lady]

Thank you word of life

Thank you word of life for coming to the rescue of Apple .I am the one who refered her to this thread because i know that deliverance works.

We inherited generational curses as far as Adam.When Adam sinned we were in his loins.

Some sins do not go unless they are cast away,we should not assume that they have gone ,just because we got saved,we should cast them away,and separate ourselves from them as the Holy spirit directs us.

For more information,one should read Blesings and curses,by Derrick Prince.

 

[jiggyfly]

Thank you word of life for coming to the rescue of Apple .I am the one who refered her to this thread because i know that deliverance works.

We inherited generational curses as far as Adam.When Adam sinned we were in his loins.

Some sins do not go unless they are cast away,we should not assume that they have gone ,just because we got saved,we should cast them away,and separate ourselves from them as the Holy spirit directs us.

For more information,one should read Blesings and curses,by Derrick Prince.

Do you happen to have some scripture to support your opinion?