Dealing with Generational Sin
1. Recognize sources, or entry points, of possible oppression. If you suspect a stronghold and know any names of relatives or particular types of sin or bondage, it will give you helpful data with which to work. Do not get obsessed looking for “skeletons” in your generational closet. In the absence of specifics, a general, sincere prayer of renunciation will suffice.
2. Pray according to the instruction of Leviticus 26: 40,42. Confess your own sins, and those of your fathers, especially sins related to rebellion against God and hatred of others. When the Israelites did this in a spirit of humility, God said He would remember His covenant with Jacob and remember the land. In short, there will be a restoration of divine favor.
3. Deliberately forgive those in your ancestry who sinned. Don’t fall into the trap of carrying bitterness against anyone. Give up the grudges and bring resolution to strained relationships, with the deceased as well as the living.
4. Partake of the Lord’s Supper. There is power released in the observance of Communion. Encouraging the church at Corinth to separate itself from pagan idolatry, Paul states in 1 Corinthians 10: 21 that “you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons.” This should be a time of reaffirmation of your commitment to the Lord and a formal removal of ground claimed by Satan.
5. Pray with authority in Jesus’ name to separate your life (and your children’s lives) from the sins of former generations (you may utilize the same prayer provided in the section on pre-conversion sin).
After doing this kind of deep prayer work, it is wise to utter a verbal command to rid your life of any familial spirits. Tell the enemy he has no legal claim to continue working in your family. The Old Covenant principle of Leviticus 26 is very clear. While some would question whether such an effort is necessary in light of the grace of the New Covenant, this procedure has helped to bring relief to many from the oppression of spiritual bondage rooted in the past and to open fresh doors of blessing for future generations.
