Who Needs Generational Healing?

By Jane Bjork 

Does every family need some type of generational healing? The answer is most likely yes, because we are all sinful humans, and if you’re a believer, we are in the sanctification process until the end. This is noted in 1 Thessalonians 5:23: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The real question is: What kind of generational healing does your family need? That, however, is not always an easy answer to find. Not all families are open about their past, their sin, or their need for healing. Some don’t believe there is any reason to bring up past issues for those living today. A common narrative is, “Maybe if it’s buried or left in the past, it will simply go away and not rear its ugly head in my generation. It’s time for a fresh start.”

That is certainly a good hope. Ultimately, the desire is that past issues never affect you or your family. After all, if you act and choose differently than those before you, it should go away. Those efforts are wonderful and often important in removing generational sin; however, it doesn’t always work out that way.

Awareness is not something to fear. We all want more information when making any sort of decision or planning for the future. It helps us make informed choices and gives us confidence in our plan of action. As we form our families and decide on the values we want to build on, it is wise to know what to avoid and what to strengthen so we don’t fall into familiar patterns of sin or struggle. Knowledge is power, and it should be seen that way in the context of generational healing.

I believe I was in my forties when I learned that my grandpa—whom I was very close to—had struggled with drinking. I never knew my mother dealt with the challenges of having an alcoholic father during her formative years. My grandpa found healing from his alcoholism with God’s help, all on his own with the Lord. Because his healing happened before any grandchildren were born, no one felt the need to share it. I was already raising my own family when I learned about his past addiction. I discovered even more about my family’s hidden history only when I was dealing with my own addicted husband at the time.

One reason people hide their past is shame. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Our forgiven sins are no longer filled with shame after Christ has cleansed us. The challenge is that not everyone in a family is a Christian or understands that truth. People can be harsh or feel ashamed, which keeps them from sharing.

It is wise to incorporate safeguards for your family when you know you may be vulnerable to something. The most important way to protect yourself from “family sin” is prayer—cleansing prayer that cuts off generational sin from continuing.

I am a prayer warrior who contends for whatever my family is facing. We can even pray against unknown struggles we aren’t aware of.

I have that “unknown past” situation in my own kids’ lives, because all four of my children are adopted. There is very little information about their biological parents or circumstances from their birth countries. The generational sins they may come from are unknown. That is not unlike families who know their roots but choose not to identify or discuss past sins. The best course of action is to cover your family in prayer against all generational curses or sinful patterns common in families.

I have prayed those prayers. I have blanketed my family and children with prayers to cut off the spread of familiar sin and any passed‑down curses in our bloodline. God knows the specifics, and we know He cares for each of us to be presented holy and blameless before the throne of grace. Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Try it—PRAY! You may spare your family from struggles you never knew touched your bloodline. That deserves an Amen. 

Use this Spiritual Warfare prayer:

Father, I repent, in Jesus’ Name, for the sins of addiction, sexual confusion, fear, doubt, worry, anger, pornography, pride, unforgiveness, jealousy, disbelief, masonry practice, lying, and any others I may not know of on behalf of myself, my mother/father, and my mother’s/father’s family line. I ask you to send the blood of Jesus up my mother’s/father’s family bloodline to the origination point of that sin and wash it in the blood of Jesus. Then I ask You to send the blood of Jesus back down my mother/father’s family bloodline through my mother/father to my core. In Jesus’ Name, I break all agreement with and renounce every familiar and unclean spirit that is connected with and has taken advantage of that sin, and command them to go to the cross and the blood of Jesus to be dealt with there, never to return to me or my family again, in Jesus’ Name.

Jane Bjork is the Director of Marketing for Heroic Pictures and Patterns of Evidence. An experienced film marketing executive, Bjork has led promotional efforts for multiple faith-based documentaries and theatrical releases, including the June 2025 release,

The American Miracle: Our Nation is No Accident. She believes God-affirming media is critical to a better culture and stronger families. She is a mother of 4 adult children and a prayer warrior at heart.