Generational Transfers - God of the Impossible: Day Twelve, Week Twelve

This week’s prayer comes from Genesis 12:3. “I will bless those who bless thee and curse those who curse thee, and in thee, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

When I wrote out these prayers last year, my focus was on six main areas. As we go along, they may sound familiar, like this week’s prayer about generational curses and generational blessings.

As the world continues its downhill spiral, these dichotomies seem more and more glaring. The line in the sand is getting wider and wider, the decay of humanity is morphing into something we haven’t seen before, and the “do-gooders” seem to be a very small percentage, but that is looking at things through a worldly view. If we look at the world from a Biblical point of view, we know that Jesus has already made provisions for all things through the cross, and what is happening in the world today is no surprise.

The more I study my Bible, the clearer the dichotomies become. There is always a good and always an evil. Always what is right and true and always what is deceptive and wicked. Just read Ecclesiastes Chapter 3; it is full of dichotomies. Everything really does boil down to its simplest form. In the end, it is exactly as the Bible says it is. We are either living “for God or against him,” there is no middle ground, and He has given us the ability to choose. Whether those choices are conscious or subconscious. We have free will.

Although generational curses and generational blessings are things that exist outside of our free will, we have the power to change the curses to blessings and the power to change the blessings to curses. It happens all the time. We are just not in the habit of looking at it from that lens.

To recap from a couple of weeks ago, a generational curse refers to negative patterns, behaviors, or circumstances that are believed to be passed down through family bloodlines, affecting multiple generations. These curses can manifest in various forms, including addiction, poverty, abuse, and dysfunctional relationships. Some attribute generational curses to spiritual or supernatural forces, while others view them as psychological or sociological phenomena. Generational curses may arise from unresolved trauma, unhealthy family dynamics, or societal influences. Traumatic experiences such as abuse, war, or natural disasters can leave lasting emotional scars that are transmitted from one generation to the next. Additionally, learned behaviors within families, such as substance abuse or destructive coping mechanisms, can perpetuate negative patterns across generations.

On the other hand, generational blessings are positive attributes, values, or achievements that are passed down through family lines. These blessings can include traits such as resilience, creativity, a strong work ethic, and a sense of community. Like generational curses, generational blessings can shape the lives and experiences of individuals and families across multiple generations. Cultivating generational blessings involves nurturing and reinforcing positive traits and values within the family unit. This can be achieved through open communication, role modeling, and the intentional transmission of family traditions and values. Celebrating achievements, fostering a supportive environment, and encouraging personal growth can further strengthen generational blessings and contribute to the well-being of future generations.

However, for those who were raised in dysfunctional families or abusive families, the deep psychological and emotional damage that perpetuates the cycles is not always easy to decipher. Those raised in functional homes can easily take it for granted because it is all they have ever known and there can lack real appreciation for the blessings one was born into.

I know for me, I had a bit of both. I was blessed to grow up in a home with two parents who took me to church and kept me safe from predators. We were an average middle-class family. Our home was both loving and “religious,” and that created a lot of confusion for me. My parents were both first-generation Christians, and when they found the Lord, He changed their lives dramatically. So, they followed the church “rules” without a real understanding of the rules, which meant they could not always explain the rules to me. This formed a rebellion in me and a massive need to have my own voice. There is more to the story than that, but my point is that the good and the bad shape us in ways we don’t always recognize. As I have gotten older, I have been able to connect the dots. I have grown to understand what the “rules” were intended for, and my parents settled into their relationship with the Lord, which only deepened with time. Also, I rejected the blessing and heritage I was born into for a time, and I am forever grateful for the goodness of God in his pursuit of me.

Today, pray this prayer over yourself and then stand in the gap for those who are unable to pray this prayer for themselves. Ask God to break and remove any generational curses and their effects, and ask God to bless you and bless those who have been a blessing to you. We can all do better at identifying the blessings in our life and living in gratitude. It is a game-changer!

Until next week, occupy until He comes.

Kathy Chastain