Christ took away [redeemed us from; bought our freedom from] the curse ·the law put on us [L of the law]. He changed places with us and put himself under that curse [L …by becoming a curse for us]. [L For; Because] It is written in the Scriptures, “Anyone ·whose body is displayed [L who is hung] on a tree is cursed [Deut. 21:23; C an executed man’s body was hung on a stake or tree for humiliation and warning; Paul here applies it to Christ’s crucifixion as the curse/judgment for our sin].” (Galatians 3:13) EXB
Kicking the family out of the curse…sounds as if I’ve got it backwards, eh? Well, it’s high time you disowned an entity which bears the distinction of being a part of your family, once and for all. No, it’s not your great-uncle with the annoying habit of chewing with his mouth open! I’m talking about disowning that illness, iniquity, or misfortune that seems to have adopted your family as its own...the family curse. You need to write your family out of the list of heirs in this particular inheritance. You may be stuck with the family nose or the high forehead, but friend, you do NOT have to be the genetic carrier of destructive habits, poor health, or spiritual deficiency to pass on to future generations. IF YOU ARE READY TO USHER PEACE AND BLESSING INTO YOUR HOUSEHOLD, READ ON.
When we reach the age of parenting and grandparenting, we start thinking beyond our own needs and begin making plans to pass certain things on to our posterity. It’s profound indeed when we discover that we are not a universe of one! We will, without a second thought, deny our own needs in order to see those young ones have theirs met. Often we stretch far beyond just meeting their needs; we find delight in lavishing good things not even asked for upon those we love. Is this not a reflection of the love our Heavenly Father displays toward us?
So why then, when we so eagerly attend to their physical and material needs, do we not recognize the necessity of setting up blessing and protection in the spirit realm for our family? By passively coexisting with the works of darkness—rather than dealing with them—we host and then perpetuate elements which steal, kill, and destroy now and into the next generation.
This teaching is not for the wimpy! It involves using the Word of God to illuminate the dim recesses of our souls. Let’s face it: uncovering the painful truths hiding in our history is not fun. At times we even let bad traits carry an air of honor. Think of it…folks who will in ignorance attach their name proudly to a curse! The “Smith temper.” (Random names of course!). “Joneses always get even with our enemies.” Or, “He’s pure Mayfield, alright…all the Mayfield males are womanizers.” How about, “She’s a pill-head, just like her mother. Their whole family is addicted to one thing or another.” I also want to throw in the illnesses that we unwittingly accept as members of our family, without even fighting to be set free. “Yep, I’m an Edwards…we Edwardses always wind up dying of heart disease.” Well, what about it? Don’t you think it’s time to kick the ‘family’ out of the family curse?
You would never knowingly put your child in the hands of an abuser or someone who would drive drunk with him or her in the car! I challenge you today to bravely put on that same bulldog tenacity when it comes to ending generational curses and to fighting for the souls of your family. You have the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, the name of Jesus, and the blood of Jesus as weapons of warfare. Your God is El Shaddai—MORE THAN ENOUGH; however, it is up to you as the spiritual leader in your home to give Him His rightful place at the head of the household. It is up to you to create a climate in your home which invites the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Be honest with yourself as to what traits in your family need dealt with. This isn’t to cause you to fall under condemnation—or to start a blame game among your household occupants—it’s an exercise in bondage breaking! While certainly not all misfortunes and attacks of the enemy are traced back to generational curses, many are and need to be dealt with accordingly. At times, plagues of various sorts will try to take root in the lives of intercessors and the seed royal of godly families. If you’re not sure what the origin of your attack is, God can reveal it to you in your prayer time and in your study of the Word. Also, it’s important to note that not all behaviors are learned behaviors. Someone can be plagued with the sinful attributes—or the illnesses—of a family member he or she has never even met! The devil loves to linger beyond one lifetime, and do collateral damage by transferring demonic influences and cursed traits to another generation. So, what is that disease-bearing organism hiding under the bark of your family tree? It might be diabetes, depression, or adultery. It might be a recurring pattern of babies born out of wedlock, poverty, addiction, tragic or premature deaths in your family. Cancer. Sexual perversion and deviation. Obesity. Alzheimer’s. Infertility and miscarriages. Birth defects. Prejudice. Grudge-bearing. Or, even just uncontrolled anger! It could come from a variety of origins—rebellion, complacence, lack of discipline; it could lie in idle words, dishonesty, oaths taken, unforgiveness, pride, disregard for authority, sins committed over and over until they become iniquities, or plain old ignorance. The list of sources can be long; but in short, herein lies a wrong that needs to be made right. It’s up to you to lead your family out from under that cloud and to seal up the cracks in the hedge around your household.
Passengers on an airplane are taught that, in the event of a loss of oxygen, they are to first put their own mask on, then to put the masks on their children. In this spiritual life-saving tactic, you too must begin with yourself. Begin to denounce those things in your family which plague YOU. Then, begin to denounce even those negative traits which may have bypassed you and are potentially threatening your kids. If you have adopted or foster children, you have the spiritual authority as their new guardian to break curses passed on by their birth families. Denounce those traits, and immediately stop branding your kids with destructive declarations and comparisons to others who exhibit bad behavior. Instead of saying that your son acts just like your obnoxious younger brother Gene, start confessing instead that your son has the mind—and character, and the demeanor—of The Lord Jesus. Start speaking out the things you want to have instead of what things are in front if you now! Go ahead, speak to that mountain. Furthermore, if God reveals to you that certain items need to be removed from your possession, don’t hesitate for one moment to rid your family of them. Some examples might be: talismans, good luck charms, Ouija boards or other objects of divination, unholy books, video games, art, movies or music with dark influence; or even tribal relics which are thought to evoke certain activities in the spirit realm. As well, know that any objects which are attached to unholy soul ties (gotten through adultery, ungodly alliances, etc.) need to be purged from your home. No matter how trivial or harmless they might seem, or what kind of significance to your ethnic heritage they might hold, don’t leave ungodly objects in your house ONE MORE NIGHT! These are often overlooked gateways of satanic dominion…and your mission is now to close any access doors that the enemy has to your family. And for heaven’s sake, if you sweep your house clean of the devil, don’t put him in a yard sale or give your bondage to someone else!
For those of you who may be battling an illness which the doctors have called terminal, I encourage you to continue to fight, fight, fight…and believe for your healing and deliverance. Healing is the bread of God’s children! However, I would challenge you to take your faith a step farther and close the door of illness with yourself. Whether you are healed miraculously in this life, or you should receive your healing in an incorruptible body later, break the curse off your descendants now by drawing a blood line and forbidding the recurrence of this curse in your offspring. Invoke the health and blessing of the Father upon your children and grandchildren. Your own healing does not have to be manifest already in order for you to be qualified to choke off the devil’s access to your children.
Here’s an example of how you might pray concerning generational curses. Pray your petition after you have taken time to exalt God and to give Him due adoration, praise, and worship; and then rejoice afterwards for the freedom you are receiving by faith for yourself and your family!
“Father God, I come to you today in repentance for my family’s ancient and also present iniquities, sins, and also the consequential evidence of their existence. First of all, I may not realize what all lies in my bloodline. If my family has ever worshiped idols or satanic entities or practiced witchcraft or divination; if my ancestors have robbed, raped, shed innocent blood, took despicable oaths, or committed sins worthy of death, I repent before you for those sins and I ask you to put them under the blood of Jesus. If there is ill-gotten gain, forgiveness to be sought or granted, or situations in which You would require restitution, reveal that to me as well so that no doorway is left open for the evil one to enter. As for me and my house, we will serve You and we want no blood ties to anything from the past which carries a curse. Your Word says that Christ changed places with us at Calvary, and He Who knew no sin became sin for us. Father, I confess today that the sins of my ancestors are now nailed to the cross. Show me if there are specific areas in which I need to deal or repent. Let there be no stone left unturned. I choose today to be honest before You and honest with myself. Father, I name the following as a condition which appears to be generational in my family: (name whatever bondage(s) your family wrestles with). Father, I surrender myself to you as the diplomat of my family, as a spiritual leader in my home. I denounce all things which You despise. I break the curse of ____________ from off myself first; and as the first freed member from this curse, I loose the bonds of the remaining members of my family. (Name their names and what they’re being loosed from, if you wish. If you have adopted children, fosters, or extended family over which you are guardian, this is the time to name and deal with whatever curses you might know to exist from their birth families.) I declare that the curse from past generations is no longer attached to my family. I plead the blood of Jesus around the perimeters of my home, over each of my children, my spouse, my grandchildren. Thank you for freeing us from the consequences of our ancestors’ sins, and thank you for granting us grace as we forsake our own sins and endeavor to live holy before our Holy God. Our spiritual and physical DNA is healed! Our genetic code is rewritten, beginning now—with me—and in my bloodline of future generations. I love you, Father. My family is YOUR family! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
CALL THOSE THINGS 