Counselor's Corner: Breaking Generational Strongholds in Your Family

Have you noticed in your family the same or familiar patterns of behavior occurring over and over again with different family members? These are generational strongholds or sins that have been passed down from one generation to another.

Generational strongholds are repeated patterns of sins in a family such as with addiction, idol worship, divorce, lying, and sexual immorality.

The enemy does not want anyone in the family system to begin to recognize familiar patterns of sin. Why? Because if just one person in the family repents and begins to turn from generational inequities the power to touch future generations will be demolished. However, much resistance from the enemy will come to the one or the few in the family who turn from generational wickedness.

There will be seasons and times for the ones that have chosen to break-free from generational strongholds, that strong opposition will occur.

This opposition comes mainly for two reasons:

One, to get you to go back to your old lifestyle, or to your former ways of living godless. Second, to torment you with that the others in your family that are still under the generational strongholds will not be set-free.

Generational strongholds can only be broken by turning away from your sin, and choosing to walk in a different direction than what may have been passed down generationally to you.

You must be aware of what strongholds are in your family, repent, turn from them, and choose to follow after the Spirit not your flesh. Will doing this be difficult? Yes! Without a doubt, breaking free from generational sins will not be an easy task. Will the enemy try and seduce you back to the familiar, or what you grew-up around? Yes! Be on guard for when you are around people in your family who are still under bondage to generational sins, and make sure to go to your quiet place afterwards and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Those pesky demons that are still attached to some of your family may try and speak to you, so you must get alone with the Father to be still and hear His voice.

→Reflect:

Do you know the generational strongholds in your family? Have you turned from these sins and began living a different way? Have you confessed these sins in your family?

If the enemy comes lurking to persuade you to go back into the familiar ways of what you were raised around, remind yourself that you are a new creation in Christ and your former self is no more.

The younger generation is looking to you, be an example to them how to follow Christ and overcome generational sin.

→Meditate:

So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

I, the Lord…visits the inequity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18).

Couselor's Corner: How to Break Demonic Cycles

A cycle is something that gets repeated over and over again, usually with the same results. There seems to be a “force” that pulls you into the same direction that you have tried desperately to get free from. Many people give up when negative cycles continue to happen in their lives because of discouragement that things will not get better.

There are bad habits you may have that seem to come in cycles such as over-indulging in eating or forgoing exercising again. Then there are demonic cycles that when you step back and evaluate the course of your life the same things keep getting repeated in your life to hinder your progress, growth and purpose in the Kingdom of God. In other words, you keep going around the same “mountains” over and over again and you never seem cross-over into your Promised Land.

 You know it is a demonic cycle versus just a bad habit if the cycles that you go through are centered around getting you to question the goodness of God, His faithfulness, His love for you, have a desire to walk away from your destiny, and if you feel like giving up on life. Discouragement, hopelessness, weariness and infirmity surround these demonic cycles. Demonic cycles come only to destroy your faith, your growth and progress, and your destiny.

If you have noticed that every couple of months or so you “battle” the same type of cycles in your life, it is time to take note and realize these are strategies from the pits of hell to derail your faith and squash your assignment from God.

Demonic cycles always sabotage any good works that are in your life. Demonic cycles do not have to be tolerated in your life!

How to break demonic cycles:

1)      Know your weaknesses and who and what the enemy uses time and time again to disrupt the good that God is doing in your life. Ask yourself is it the same people or similar circumstances that come in cycles to cause you to go back and not move forward? Make a list of your cycles that you need to break free from. Begin declaring victory in Jesus over every cycle until you are completely free.

2)      Watch what you think and say about the situations and people that keep occurring in cycles. Instead of saying,” My grandfather and uncle were addicts so I guess my family will always struggle.” Generational cycles of poverty, failure, addiction, sickness, and mental illness can be broken by not speaking what you have seen all your life as reality but by confessing the Word of God over your family and circumstances, and speaking the opposite of what you have known to be true.

3)      What do you say and believe about yourself consistently, such as when you make a mistake, or do you have a habit of telling yourself, “I can’t do anything right, I fail every time so I will quit trying.” When you mess up and your weaknesses show, what do you believe about yourself? Form a new habit of telling yourself that failure happens to all and everyone has weakness but you will try again. Many people have cycles of failure that they are not able to recover from. Cycles of failure should be evaluated in terms of what was your part and responsibility and then what part the enemy has played to keep you believing you will not succeed.

4)      Speak to your cycles and tell them that in the name and blood of Jesus Christ they will not be able to manifest in your life ever again. For example, “In the name of Jesus Christ and by His blood I command the cycle of failure to never manifest in my life ever again.” Decree and declare that old cycles that have held you in captivity will break and that you will come out of those cycles in the name of Jesus Christ. Decree and Declare everything in your past be repaired and restored so your future can be unlocked.

5)      If you have repeated cycles of sin in your life there may be a generation stronghold/sin that you need to break. Repent for not only your sins but your family’s. Ask God to clean your heart of all unforgiveness, bitterness and anger at anyone and even God.

In Summary…

Recognize and write down your repeated cycles.

Confess the opposite of your cycles.

Decree and declare that in the name of Jesus Christ that old cycles that have held you in captivity will break.

Decree and declare victory in Jesus Christ over all cycles in your life (name the cycle and declare victory in Jesus over each cycle until complete victory manifests).

Confess and repent your sins as well as your generational line and ask God to cleanse your heart.