Family History

I am currently reading 2 Kings, and a common theme that I have noticed is how some of the kings followed in the footsteps of the king that reigned before them. As I read through the chapters, one thing that came to mind was “generational.” Some of the kings followed behind the bad habits of the other kings in power before them. 2 Kings 13:1-2 says, “In the twenty-third year of Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu became king over Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and followed the idolatrous sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin; he did not turn from them.” 2 Kings 16:1-2 says, “In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the sight of the Lord his God, as his father(ancestor) David had done. I want to point out that some kings did do things that were right and followed God. We hear a lot about generational curses. Maybe your Auntie was addicted to drugs and your cousin and cousin’s kid. It is essential to know your family history to understand what your family has a history of and prayer against it and know what things you should steer clear of. I believe we have to be intentional. If you know that alcohol abuse runs rampant in your family, you should stay clear of liquor stores and even happy hour. If someone invites you to happy hour, It would be a good idea not to go. You have to remember when it comes to 

the enemy; he does things very subtle. It starts off innocent and soon can escalate if you’re not paying attention. “Be sober, be watchful; your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” If you know gambling addictions run in your family, it’s a great idea to stay away from slot machines if possibly. People who have addictions to porn most likely didn’t start with a bunch of porn movies being thrown at them. It may have started very subtly. Maybe a tiny kissing scene in a film drew them to explore other avenues. If you don’t know what runs in your family and you can find out, I would recommend asking someone in the family or paying attention to your family member’s habits, not weirdly. So you can know what you need to pray against in prayer and how you can adjust your lifestyle accordingly. Addictions are hard to break, and they can be frustrating when you are trying to break them or if you have a loved one that is dealing with one or some. I encourage you to pray for yourself or your loved one and not give up. God is still working miracles every day. If you have an addiction, I encourage you to seek out the appropriate resources to help you and pray to beat that addiction. Every day may be a fight for you, but with God, all things are possible, and before you know it, you will be able to share your testimony to help someone else. Imagine if a domino effect started. You share your testimony, and it helps someone else overcome their addiction, and they shared their testimony, and more people healed. Pheww, Chilleee, that would be amazing. God is miraculous, and there’s a miracle with your name on it.