Sickness is a curse of the law arising from the sin of disobedience. God says: “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26).

Death is also a curse. God told Adam: “Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:22).

In Deuteronomy 28:15-68, God pronounced 112 curses on those who disobey the Law. These range from poverty and enslavement, to deprivation, backwardness, indebtedness, barrenness, and compulsive immorality.

Some believe we have been redeemed from these curses. Paul says: “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law.” (Galatians 3:13). He says: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made (us) free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1-2).

However, these redemptive principles are only of automatic spiritual application. Since we are still in the flesh, they continue to apply until broken. Jesus our redeemer Himself tells us some things affecting us will not go: “except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21). So, in many situations, we have to pray like Jeremiah: “We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers, for we have sinned against You.” (Jeremiah 14:20).

Generational blessings

Generational curses remain because generational blessings continue to apply, and they are the bedrock of our redemption in Christ. Paul says: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22). He says furthermore:

“As through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:18-19).

When Jesus inaugurated His ministry, He read a passage from Isaiah. The original scripture says:

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; he has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

“And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” (Isaiah 61:1-4).

Two people are involved in this scripture: the Lord and the believer.

The Lord performs verses 1-3 that Jesus repeats at His inaugural. But verse 4 is the believer’s responsibility. It is our responsibility to rebuild the old ruins, to raise up the former desolations, and to repair the ruined cities.

Co-labourers with God

God can do without man. But He never acts without man. He says in Ezekiel: “I sought for a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land.” (Ezekiel 22:30).

The psalmist notes that: “The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” (Psalm 115:16). Because He has given the earth to men, God does not interfere on earth except by man’s invitation. Therefore, in order to redeem man from sin, God in Christ became a man and came down to earth.

For this reason, we are co-labourers together with God in all things. (1 Corinthians 3:9). We pray and God answers. We invite God and He intervenes. Thus, Paul says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13).

Since the same Paul insists salvation is by grace through faith and not of works, how then can we be asked to work out our own salvation? The answer is simple. We must work out what God has worked in. Similarly, we must stir up the gift of God that is in us. (2 Timothy 1:6). In all situations, we cannot say Christ has done it all. There is still work for us to do.

After we receive Christ, we still have to repent of sin. Yes, we are forgiven, but forgiveness produces repentance and not vice-versa. The scripture says: “The goodness of God leads you to repentance.” (Romans 2:4).

Likewise, salvation leads to deliverance. While we are still in the flesh, salvation does not prevent us from sinning. Salvation breaks the power of sin in our lives, ensuring we are no longer slaves of sin. It then becomes our responsibility to seek actively the help of the Holy Spirit, so that we actually stop sinning.

Deliverance

In this life, children sometimes suffer for the sins of their father. But even though sin can thereby be passed down through the generations, each person is responsible for his or her personal sins against the Lord. The final judgment on the last day is according to our individual works.

However, generational curses apply in this life and must be broken prayerfully. Examples of these abound in scripture:

“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.” (Daniel 9:16).

“Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.” (Psalm 79:8-9).

Prayers

Dear heavenly Father, please dismantle and remove any impediment from my father’s or my mother’s house that is preventing me to walk on my high places in Jesus’ Name.

Please annul any covenant of death entered into by my parents and grandparents in Jesus’ Name.

Remove every embargo on my life, finances, and advancement placed wittingly or unwittingly by my forefathers in Jesus’ Name.

Please break every curse operating in me and mine arising from my father’s or mother’s house in Jesus’ Name.

Please break every satanic chain of brass and every bar of iron that has been used to impede me and drag me back in life in Jesus’ Name.

Amen and Amen!

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