April, 1998

BREAKING GENERATIONAL CURSES
By Marilyn Conrad

When I first started standing for my marriage I thought I was just standing for my husband and our relationship. However, I soon saw the effects of divorce on my two sons, their wives and eventually, my grandchildren. Therefore it didn't take long for me to understand that I was standing for my children also.

I have learned that when the devil sees that he can not get us off our stands, many times he will attack our children. He knows where we are most vulnerable. There were times when it looked like neither of my boys would answer the call of God on their lives. Murry and Becky were separated and divorced for seven months. (Some of you know that Murry stood and they were remarried!) During this time I kept telling the devil he was not going to have my family and that, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

In the midst of doing spiritual warfare for my sons and their wives, Dick Mills called me out at a meeting and gave me Isaiah 8:18, "Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders…." He said I was a catalyst in my family and that what God taught me would overflow onto my family. Thank God for His prophets. Dick Mills gave me encouragement to hang in there and not give up on my family.

Today, both my sons and their wives, along with my grandchildren are serving the Lord. We can change future generations. We can repent for this generation and turn things around. We can break the curses that are on this generation and generations to come… our children and our children's children.

Choose Life

Curses can follow a person, a race or a nation for generations unless it is supernaturally broken. Deuteronomy 30:15 and 19 says, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live."

I submit to you that choosing life or death, blessings or curses is our choice: our decision; an act of our wills. Curses are generational but so are blessings! Choose life… choose the blessings of God that result from obedience instead of opening the door to curses through disobedience.

When our forefathers sinned, their transgressions opened the door for a curse to be placed on our bloodline. Exodus 20:5 says that the sins of the fathers will be visited on the 3rd and 4th generations. Just as we must appropriate the blood of Jesus Christ personally for salvation, we must also appropriate the sacrifice of Christ individually for the breaking of family curses; based on 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 every one that hangeth on a tree."

Family History

Even the world recognizes generational curses. Of course they don't call them curses. Did you ever fill out insurance forms or a questionnaire at the doctor's office? They want to know if there is any history of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer in your family. They know if it is in your family's background, it can be in you.

Just as sickness can be a curse, adultery can also be a curse. In Deuteronomy 28 the blessings are listed that result from obedience to God. Then the curses are given, which result from disobedience. Deuteronomy 28:30 says, "Thou shalt betroth a wife and another shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof." This verse paints a picture of what divorce does to a family.

Verse 23 describes what happens to our children, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand."

But according to Galatians 3:13 we have been redeemed from the curse of the law. We don't have to accept divorce and adultery. We’ve been redeemed from that curse and we can break these generational curses with the blood of Jesus. Jesus became a curse for us! Hallelujah!!

Matthew 12:29 says, "How can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man?" House here means generations. So we need to bind the strongman and then take back the house (that generation) from him. Tell the devil you're not going to have heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, divorce and adultery in your bloodline.

The Blood Of Jesus

He will try to come back, so fight until it is totally broken. He will also try to go after your children or your grandchildren. Don't allow it. The devil is trying to destroy America and he's after our kids. The blood of Jesus is the answer to the curse.

Other curses could be poverty and financial lack, death and destruction. Based on Galatians 3:13 pray and break all curses known and unknown off yourself and future generations.

PRAYER

Pray the following prayer with me: FATHER, YOUR WORD SAYS CHRIST HAS REDEEMED ME FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW, HAVING BEEN MADE A CURSE FOR ME. THEREFORE, I BREAK EVERY GENERATIONAL CURSE OF ADULTERY SEPARATION AND DIVORCE, SICKNESS AND DISEASE (NAME THEM) POVERTY, FINANCIAL LACK, DEATH AND DESTRUCTION OFF MYSELF, PAST GENERATIONS AND ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS IN JESUS' NAME. I PLACE THE BLOOD AND THE CROSS BETWEEN ALL PAST GENERATIONS AND MYSELF. EVERY CURSE AND ASSIGNMENT MUST STOP AT THE CROSS. IN JESUS' MIGHTY NAME. AMEN.

Psalm 78:5-8 says, "For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generations to come might know them, even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children, that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."

Pay A Price

I pray we will not be a stubborn and rebellious generation, one who is not faithful to train our children in the ways of God. If so, future generations will suffer and pay a great price for our disobedience.

Verses 9-11 say, "The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them."

Just as they were armed for battle, today many Christians are armed also. They wouldn't think of starting the day without their armor. They put on the helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, their feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, they take the shield of faith which quenches all the fiery darts of the wicked one and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And they pray in the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 6:14-18

However, dressing for battle is not enough. We have to actually go into battle and fight! The children of Ephraim were armed but turned back in the day of battle. I believe this generation will go down in history as one who turned back when it came to fighting for their families. Many have accepted divorce instead of fighting for their homes and marriages. Divorce recovery, remarriage and blended families are a result of turning back and refusing to fight.

Finally, generations to come will pay a price unless we choose to stop the curse of divorce on our families. Curses are generational but so are blessings. We must choose life and be willing to lay down our lives for future generations.

This article is a portion of Marilyn's message on tape, "Choices For Future Generations". To order write it in on our order page. Shipments to US addresses are $5, Canada $5.25, all other countries $6. Also recommended is the book "Ancient Paths" by Craig Hill. Costs are US $9.25, Canada $9.50, All Other Countries $11.75.