I was sitting in my room one day, listening to Derek Prince’s message about breaking generational curses. One of the things he emphasized was the importance of identifying the spiritual force you’re dealing with, so you can first bind that demonic spirit and then set the captives free, whether you or a loved one.
I didn’t think I had anything specific to pray about, but as a habit, I wanted to practice what I had just learned.
So I began a two-hour prayer, pouring out my heart to God about bloodline curses and any strong man I might be dealing with without knowing it.
As I prayed, the words from Isaiah 49:24 came to mind, so I opened it in the King James Version:
“Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?”
This was the first time the verse hit me. I kept repeating “lawful captive.”
The idea troubled me deeply. I couldn’t believe that a demon could have a legal right to invade your life and operate freely. I felt sad, and wondered what this meant for the believer.
As I pondered more, the story of the Gibeonites in Joshua 9, came to mind.
The Gibeonites pretended to come from a far country, even showing old, moldy bread to convince Joshua they had traveled a long distance. Joshua made a covenant with them without consulting God, contrary to God’s instruction.
When he later discovered they were actually neighbors, people God had commanded Israel to completely destroy, he felt deceived, but it was too late.
Years later, in the time of David, a famine came upon the land. When David sought God, he learned the famine was judgment because Saul had broken Joshua’s covenant and killed the Gibeonites.
Despite their deception, God still honored the agreement.
The generation who made the covenant was long gone, yet the agreement was still legally binding.
I pondered on my life and tried to understand some patterns, when I thought I entered into the agreement, or if it was a family generational curse. I found a bit of both. You may wonder if you are not thinking too much of this by looking at the spiritual for answers, you are not. Remember:
“But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14
Don’t let the devil deceive you into thinking your struggle is merely natural or “just the way things are.” Recognize the real battle and the true enemy—a crafty, sneaky, fallen adversary who is committed to stealing, killing, and destroying your dreams, your purpose, and your soul.
Stay spiritually alert. Understand what you’re dealing with and stand firm in the truth of God’s Word.