Have you ever taken a good look at your family and observed if any negative patterns go from generation to generation? If yes, then generational curses and manipulations are affecting your family history. However, you can be free, and instead of curses, you can have blessings. Keep on reading to find out how to be free from generational curses.

What are Generational Curses?

Generational curses are patterns of sin(s) transmitted through family lineage. This simply means that any habits or negative traits that we acquire or inherit from our parents that made us not live righteously or fulfill God’s desire are known as a generational curse. Another definition says that generational curses are evil traits or behaviors passed down through the generations.

Here is an example of generational curses: Some time ago, I went to minister at a prison in Texas U.S. That afternoon, when I started ministering, I asked prisoners two questions: “How many of you have your parents or grandparents in prison?” and “How many of you have children or grandchildren who have gotten into trouble with justice?” About one hundred percent of the prisoners raised their hands in response to both questions. Every one of them is under the bondage of a generational curse.

People are often unaware that scripture mentions the term generational curses in several places. Examples of places where scripture used the word are Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9. Just as they are generational blessings, there are also generational curses. For example, when God was making a covenant with Abraham, He never once said, “I’m going to bless you alone.” Instead, God kept echoing to Abraham that “I’m going to bless you and your descendants.” (Genesis 22:17-18). Abraham obeyed God and was blessed, and his descendants were also blessed because blessings tend to run along the bloodlines.

What is a Family Curse?

When we talk about family curses, we need to understand what the word “family” means. A family can be as small as the husband, wife, and children, or it can be the family of a church. It can be as big as your city or your state, and it can be as big as the nation, including the president and government officials. Certain families have their characteristics; certain cities have them, and so do certain states, nations, and ethnicities. So how do you tell that something is a generational curse?

How Do I Tell A Generational Curse?

Aside from spiritual knowledge, scientists have come to agree that certain traits that children observe from their parents are more likely to be repeated by the children. For example, if your son sees you beat up his wife, he will grow up and abuse his wife. Another example is if you are a chronic alcoholic as a parent, then your kids are more likely to abuse alcohol. The principle applies to sexual immorality, greed, or any other sin.

To tell if something is a generational curse, you need to identify the origin of the behaviour or traits. As earlier explained, parents who behave a certain way may have witnessed such behaviours in their parents. The subconscious mind may have copied that behaviour, and without any awareness, the individual begins to live out their parents’ mindset. Another crucial observation that needs to be carried out is the number of people struggling with that particular trait in the family. If you observe that different family people behave similarly, then there may be a generational curse.

A generational curse may be a breach of spiritual laws that are now affecting the next generation. This is possible because curses run along the bloodlines. The bible says in Exodus 20:5-6 about God warning the children of Israel not to follow other gods. God told them that He is a jealous God that visits parents’ iniquity upon children (up to the third and fourth generation). So, when spiritual laws are broken, then the result of the transgression committed can be transmitted to several generations.

How Do I Break Generational Curses?

The world’s solution to temptations and problems is to say no. But it is important to note that you can not say no to spiritual curses from the physical. So, believers need to understand that to break generational curses with spiritual roots; then they need to operate the spiritual principle of cause and effect.

As a believer, you need to understand that when you receive Jesus Christ, you have been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God. More also, Christ has paid the price for every spiritual curse, as the bible says in Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree.”

So, if you have genuinely received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then the legal aspect of generational curses has been solved. However, most believers still suffer generational curses because they do not know how to enforce their victory. Here are a few ways how to enforce your victory in Christ Jesus over generational curses:

Prayer and Fasting:

It is important to note that you are not praying and fasting to fight the devil. Instead, you are showing the devil and his cohort the price that has been paid on your account. The Bible says in James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.” (James 5:16)

So, when you pray, you permit God’s will to have an expression in your mortal body. When you pray, you refuse to subject yourself to any curse of the devil. So, it is advisable to deploy the weapon of prayer to break every generational curse that has held you bound.

Personal Retrospection:

Most people are unaware that personal retrospection is a way of breaking generational curses. When you begin to consider your ways with what the bible says, you will find out that you will be able to gravitate towards the will of God. The bible says that “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape that you may be able to endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). So, when next you are experiencing any generational curse, the best clinic to go to for examination and correction is the word of God.

In conclusion, it doesn’t matter that you are suffering from a curse that is a consequence of something you have done or due to something your ancestors have done. The Christ who takes away the burdens and destroys the yokes came to set him free. You no longer have to pay the consequences of that curse. You can live in blessings, in the freedom of redemption, and the restoration of God. You can visit our bookstore to get more materials on how to break generational curses.