How are we affected by our previous generations?

• We should understand that the raw material that God creates us from comes directly from our ancestors. Everything is already coined into our systems.
• The following are roughly the different stages of our lives.
• In each and every stage of our lives there are already mindsets, thought patterns, response patterns, decision-making patterns, etc, coined into us. So we already have things in our system, which can be godly or ungodly. So, this means that if a father is an alcoholic, there is a high probability that the son too may become an alcoholic or have some other addictive behavior. If the father has committed adultery, then most probably the son too would do so. And this is what the bible calls iniquity or the inclination to sin, which is passed down through the generational lines. Curses continue till the third or fourth generation because the inclination also continues till the third of fourth generation. So, God is never unjust when a person has to suffer the consequences of his or her father’s sin. Though as Christians, we may never commit an offense blatantly, but the tendency to do so exists. The iniquity and curses connected to sexual perversions/immorality may pass down up to 10 generations (Deut. 23:2-3). An ungodly background does not necessarily mean that everything is bad or ungodly. All of us have some or the other good elements from the past which we should not reject. In fact, when we do selective de-linking, we accept the good and replace the ungodly things with godly patterns, thoughts, emotions and decision-making patterns.

• The above aspects are related to our mind, emotions and will. There is another aspect, which is our body. We should understand that our physical features are also inherited. There are many features which are dangerous and can cost lives, eg., a weak uterus, congenital defects. We can ask God to change features which are detrimental to health. Since, the condition of the body is directly related to our mind, emotions and will; therefore we also inherit many physical ailments. As an example, if the father has hypertension, the daughter or son too gets hypertension, but it can not be completely healed unless those behavior patterns of anxiety, worry, tension change. But there are many other ailments which can be very easily cured just because of the cross. hallelujah.
• The next aspect is our abilities and the faculties that God has given us. We should know and be aware of the fact that God has gifted every individual with the capacity of a genius. We all have been given creative skills, skills of understanding, analysis, language, creativity skills, relational skills, art skills, etc., but as we all know and experience, some of us are excellent in certain skills and horrible in others. Some of us struggle with studies but are very good at keeping relations. Others are excellent in art, but are not good at other menial tasks. We need to ask God to release all those skills and abilities that are under bondage for generations and then ask God to help us develop such skills which were tied up and under bondage for generations. Some of us are very bad at relational skills. We are introduced to our own relatives and find it hard to even place them and remember them. But when God sets us free, we are able to place such people in the family tree and are able to remember and recollect information about them properly. This is just a simple example of the amazing things God can do for us.
• In the above points, we talked about the internal effects of our generational lines, now we will look into the external effects of our generational lines. We have a protective covering of the authority figures over us, so that the enemy does not wreak havoc in our lives. But many a times the enemy is successful in penetrating those protective bastions because of human errors. For example, a parent leaves a child under the care of a relative who sexually abuses the child. Now, when this child grows up and becomes a parent, the same thing happens to this person’s child at almost the same age. It may not be true for all the children, but it is almost certain for at least one. Suppose, a woman has an irresponsible, alcoholic as a husband, there is a high probability that her daughters too would get such husbands. All this may seem startling but sadly is true. On the other hand, if a woman has got a good husband, then definitely the daughter too is blessed to have a very good husband. In this case, we ask God to close all doors of attack open due to generational lines. We declare our freedom because of the cross.
• Counting backward four generations gives us four levels of ancestors:

• Parents   2
• Grandparents   4
• Great-grandparents  8
• Great-great-grandparents 16
• Total    30

Any or all of these thirty persons could be a channel through whom we may have been exposed to satanic influences.

• Biblical examples of the effects of generational iniquity

• David confesses to have inherited generational sexual iniquity (Ps. 51:5) after committing sexual sin. The sexual iniquity is passed on to Amnon, David’s son (2 Sam 13:14).
• Abraham fails to protect his wife (Gen 12:12-13). His son Issac does the same thing(Gen 26:7).

• The answer to all our generational problems
• The one and only answer to all these problems which seem so overpowering is the cross of Christ. It is because of the cross on which our Saviour died that we can experience freedom. Because Jesus carried all that is sin and evil and all our iniquities and each and every curse on the cross, we can boldly come before the throne of the Most High and ask Him to do this marvelous work of changing us. He is able to go right into our DNA system and tear down what is evil and ungodly and replace it with His Spirit. We are such a privileged people. No one can do this operation except the Holy Spirit Himself. “I will give you living waters and it will become springs welling up to eternal life”. At the Cross the iniquity of us fell on Jesus (Is. 53:5-6). Also, Jesus became a curse for us by dying on the cross to cancel our curses (Galatians 3:13).

How to deal with generational effects on our lives

• Repent and confess all your known generationally received ungodly mindsets, behavior patterns, response patterns, and decision-making patterns for every stage that has already occurred and those that we are yet to enter into in our lives.
• Forgive your ancestors for their irresponsible way of life.
• Receive forgiveness from the Lord, because He did it all for us on the cross.
• Break every evil mindset in the name of Jesus. Renounce every ungodly behavior pattern, response patterns and all related ungodly  emotions and ask the Holy Spirit to fill us and replace it with the fruits of the Spirit.
• Make a covenant to walk in accordance to the Word of God, keeping ourselves pure and holy for Him.
• Cut off all ungodly soul-ties with your ancestors.
• Close all doors open for the enemy to attack you or your descendants.
• Release all faculties and abilities and skills that have been under bondage generationally in the name of Jesus.
• Preferably the pastor or any church leader should pronounce every blessing upon the person.

Curses and Pronouncements

• Other types of curses are words spoken against another person with an intent to harm them. The words themselves have no authority to hurt anyone; it is the spiritual power behind the words that enables the terms of the curse to be fulfilled.
• There are also deliberate curses placed by others.  All witchcraft, Satanism, freemasonry, and other secret orders (eg. Voodoo) have built curses into their rituals to try to prevent people from either leaving the organization or if they do, to hold them into bondage they willingly entered into while being a member of the group.
• Similarly people who practice witchcraft and voodoo use it to place curses on victims – even competitors in business.
• The other form of curses is “non-deliberate curses.”  These are curses spoken by people against others, but not with a specific intention to bring harm to the person. The enemy can latch on to what we may say in a fit of rage and make it stick in the mind and emotions of the person spoken to.  If the words are believed and accepted, the demonic can then establish itself, holding the victim to words that have been said. This is especially true of the negative words spoken by people in authority – by parents to children, husbands to wives and vice versa, teacher to student, pastor to congregation members, etc.  Examples of such non-deliberate curses are – “you are useless,” “you will never change” “you will always be the same” “it is in your family—you are bound to get it” “you never do anything properly.”
• Self imposed curses is another area where Satan makes use of the non-deliberate words spoken against oneself.  When we make such inner vows against ourselves, we invite the enemy to take control in some areas of our life which may ultimately lead to misery and failures.  Examples of such negative words are “I’ll never trust a man again” “I am useless” “I can’t do anything right” “I’ll never forgive myself.”

Dealing with curses and pronouncements

• Forgive the person who is responsible for the curse/bondage in your life – the person who has deliberately cursed you with words or through witchcraft, or who was responsible for your involvement in occult sin, etc – and bless them.
• In case of witchcraft, cancel all the assignments of demons behind the curses.

This post is a part of a series of posts regarding Inner Healing. Click here to access the Introduction to Inner Healing and the entire list of topics in the Inner Healing series.