William Merritt
March 26, 2015 5:34 am
GENERATIONAL INIQUITY
What is Generational Iniquity?^1
Iniquity is a predisposition to certain strengths or weaknesses. It refers to the way you are “bent.” One of the Hebrew words for iniquity is “avon” which describes the crooked and perverse attitudes that emanate from the father to the children. An iniquity usually involves an attitude or behavior that is more entrenched than a sin. A synonym for iniquity is wickedness; other synonyms include: evil, sin, vice, crime, injustice.
Biblical Basis
The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations. <cite>Numbers 14:18 (NASB)</cite>
40 If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me- 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies -or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. <cite>Leviticus 26:40-42 (NASB)</cite>
The principles above, that God does visit the iniquities of the fathers on future generations, and also that He will hear, when those iniquities are confessed and repented of, are clearly illustrated in the story of Saul’s family and the Gibeonites, found in 2 Samuel 21:1-14.
When a person sins, there is a door or legal right given to the enemy. Until that sin has been repented of, the legal right remains. When we break with generational sins, we cancel the right of the enemy in this area of our lives, and God can then move, and bring healing and restoration. It’s important to realize that when we confess generational sin, we are not taking responsibility for the sins of our ancestors. God only holds us accountable for our sins and iniquities. We are simply acknowledging our ancestor’s sin, the impact it has had on the family, and confessing it so it no longer has power over us. When we recognize the areas of struggle within our family, we open a pathway to wholeness for our generation and the ones who come after us.
Generational Iniquity List • Abandonment • Abuse (emotional, physical, mental, sexual) • Addictions • Anger, rage, violence • Control and manipulation • Emotional dependency • Fears • Idolatry • Money extremes • Not caring for children • Not responsible for changing anything • Parents/Children exchanging roles • Physical deformities • Pride and rebellion • Rejection and insecurity • Religious bondage and cults • Satanism, witchcraft, occult, secret organizations • Sexual sin • Unbelief • Unworthiness and low self-esteem
How It Comes and Enters
Generational sins, curses and patterns come to us through the attitudes, actions, beliefs, behaviors, and/or habits that we have inherited from our family or relatives. We then “enter into” the same sin pattern and make it our own. It is usually repeated throughout our life as well as by individuals in successive generations.
Breaking Free - What We Need To Know
All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. <cite>Isaiah 53:6 (NASB)</cite>
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” <cite>Galatians 3:13 (NASB)</cite>
40 If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me - 41 I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies - or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land. <cite>Leviticus 26:40-42 (NASB)</cite>
Breaking Free – The Prayer Process
• Confess • Forgive and Release • Repent and Renounce • Cleanse and Break off • Restore
Generational Iniquity Prayer (example)
I confess the sin of my ancestors, my parents, and my own sin, of _. name the specific sin
I choose to forgive and release _ name the person for the sin, the curses, and the consequences in my life. I ask you to forgive me, Lord, for this sin; for yielding to it, and to the resulting curses. I receive your forgiveness.
On the basis of your forgiveness, Lord, I choose to forgive myself for involvement in this sin. I receive God’s freedom from this sin and from the resulting curses.
I place these sins and any unknown sins that my forefathers committed upon the cross. I ask that you would cleanse me now, Lord from the sin, and I ask that you would break off of me, all that the enemy placed on me because of this sin.
I also bring all the consequences and effects of this sin to the cross of Jesus Christ.
I place the blood of Jesus between me and all generational sin on both the paternal and maternal sides of my family.
I ask that the blood of Jesus cleanse my family bloodlines, all the way back to Adam.
I break all contracts, covenants, alliances, vows, hexes, or curses between me and my father and/or mother and all their ancestors.
Lord, now on the basis of my confession, repentance, and cleansing, I ask what are You restoring to me at this time?
^1: Reprinted with permission from Christian Fellowship Church