This is something that I have been meaning to address for a while. This topic has been on my heart ever since I learned what it was. Perry Stone, author of Exposing Satan's Playbook, wrote intensely about this subject and it really did change the way I lived my life. Let these words penetrate your soul...
You don’t need to come from a healthy family in order to create your own healthy family.
So many young people believe that the generational curse that they were born into is irreversible and that they are bound to repeat the mistakes of their parents. I believed that too. I was so sure that my life was going to follow in their ways that I never took any kind of action to change its trajectory. I settled and found peace with what was going to happen.
I'm so glad the Lord saved me and showed me that I didn't need to be. He tore the veil from my eyes.
So what are generational curses and how do we break them?
Many people do not believe in curses. They think they sound too ancient or superstitious to be real.
However, they are very real and the consequences of them are countless. Family curses are reoccurring problems that steal, kill, and destroy. This belief comes from the Old Testament in Exodus 24:7 which says "God punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." That's a long line of sin. Wow. So it's very safe to say that our family situation has a great influence on our growth and the development of the patterns of sin in our lives. Patterns of sin in your life develop because it is learned behavior. For example, if you grew up with parents that never said sorry, you're probably going to have a difficult time doing it too.
There are many ways generational curses can start. One of those ways are by a single choice. In Deuteronomy, it says that you can choose life and blessing or death and cursing. Either side you wind up choosing, you will have to live with the aftermath of it and so will your children. To find out what exactly started your curse, pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal it to you. He will help you to understand when your family was plagued and what to avoid going forward.
Once Satan has seen your grandparents, cousins, and parents fall into a sin, he puts a target on your back too. Since you grew up seeing it your whole life, he thinks it will be easy to convince you to fall into the same ways as them. I am proof that this happens. I was lured away by Satan's lies for many years and fell for them because it was familiar to me. Yet, there was always hope and I praise God every day that I found it. And you can too.
Look at this verse!
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7 -8
So let's reverse this curse, shall we?
There are 3 steps that you have to take in order to get the ball rolling.
1. Know your enemy: This may creep you out a bit, but I invited demons into my room one time to have a little chat. It was more of a screaming match. I told them that I was going to study the Bible so much that I was never going to buy any of their tricks. The next day, I ordered some books and studied scriptures based on Satan's horrible ways. Here are some key verses to keep in mind. 1 John 3:8, 2 Corinthians 11:3, John 8:44, John 10:10, James 4:7, Matthew 16:23.
2. Pray & Fast: I know it sounds cliche, but in order to see God truly work, you have to show Him how surrendered you are to Him. Dedicate 15 minutes each morning to covering yourself, your future family, and your relationship with the blood of Christ. Fast for a fire in your heart and for consistent obedience. He will see your dedication to Him and bless you for it.
3. Get To The Root: If one of the generational curses you have is insecurities, for example, then take out your journal and journey through your life and get to the exact cause of the insecurity. Recall specific situations that you watched your mother or father face with insecurity and write down how they could have handled it differently. Ponder about how it effects you. Get a counselor and talk through your findings.
I know that you want to live in absolute freedom. I know you long for it. I did too. But it's not going to be easy to attain. You've been dealt a bad hand, but because we have found Jesus, we are able to make it end with us. In order to do that though, you must learn to walk closely with God. You cannot be lukewarm. You have to be all in. For your sake, your spouses sake, and your children's sake.
God really does make all things new. Your future isn't doomed just because your childhood was.