Devotional
“The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.” Numbers 14:18 (also Exodus 20:4-5)
“Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities.” Lamentations 5:7
Have you ever noticed how there are some things like addictions, financial problems, depression, health issues, abuse and the like, that just keep following some families down through the generations? Are there areas in your own life that you continually struggle with and don’t understand why you can’t have the victory over it? The word tells us that our sins do not only affect us personally, but that if unrepented of, they will also impact our children to the third and fourth generation.
So are we simply doomed to live out the result of the sins of our fathers, or is it possible to break the cycle of the impact of their sins over our lives, and the lives of our children? When we receive Christ, all our sins are forgiven, but that does not mean that the effects of the sins of the generations before us are automatically removed. However, Daniel demonstrates to us in Daniel 9:16 that we can acknowledge our fathers sins and repent on their behalf, breaking the power of the resulting curse of their sins over our lives (also see Numbers 14:17-19). Being set free from generational curses is a choice we make and an action we take. When we acknowledge and repent of our forefathers sins, we break the power of the curse over us and our children. From there it is a matter of faith, believing God and receiving the blessing of freedom in that particular area.
“Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” Nehemiah 9:2
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:2-5
Prayer suggestions
- That the Lord would reveal to us any areas of our lives that are being hindered by a generational curse
- That the curse would be broken and we would be set free to experience success in those areas
- For each other, that we would all live in the fullness of the freedom that God has for us