How Does Addiction Affect Us Spiritually? The A-B-C Series on Ancestral Influences
By Gena Barnhill @BarnhillGena
The spirit of addiction operates in many family lines. In our family, alcohol addiction had a powerful impact on the previous generation and the living generations. This spirit will not depart until commanded to leave by the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Various Forms of Addiction
We have prayed against the spirit of addiction with hundreds of people who told us addictive behaviors were prevalent in their lineage. Addictions come in several forms including dependence on drugs (illegal and legal), alcohol, overeating, gambling, manipulation of others, power, fame, sexual activity, and money. The spirit of addiction works to make problems worse and causes people to focus on the things that can’t be fully satisfied.
How Does Addiction Affect Us Spiritually? #addiction #prayer #ancestralcurse Click To TweetAddiction is Considered a Disease
The medical profession labels alcohol and drug addiction as a disease. Although a genetic predisposition is thought to play a role in addiction, societal and family norms and a history of trauma and abuse contribute to the development of an addiction. Jokes were often made in my family about the Irish men making a meal of out a six-pack of beer and potatoes. Most of my family accepted drinking alcohol as expected and normal behavior.
Alcoholism
My father signed himself into a hospital detox program to give up drinking when he was 45. He was physically sick and remorseful concerning the financial burden his addiction caused the family. My mother kept his alcoholism a secret from everyone, including her sister who visited my mother every day at our home.
Shame and Rejection
The spirits of shame and rejection often work with the spirit of addiction to wreak havoc in families. My mother felt ashamed and kept my father’s addiction hidden. Dad completed the treatment program and later became a sponsor to help others through Alcoholics Anonymous.
Other Addictions
Alcoholism wasn’t the only addiction my family battled. Nicotine addiction proved to be harder for my dad to conquer. It had devastating effects on his health and led to emphysema. Overeating and dependence on drugs plagued several others in my family line.
Workaholism
I mistakenly thought I was free from the spirit of addiction because I never smoked and did not abuse alcohol or drugs. Was I mistaken! In my middle adult years, I realized I was a workaholic. What is insidious about workaholism is that society reinforces it. A strong work ethic can be a good value, but when it predominates our lives, we need to ask ourselves why we have made work or our performance an idol. An idol is anything we worship or focus on instead of God.
The Solution- True Freedom in Christ
The Bible contains numerous freedom in Christ verses to guide us. The good news is that we can be free of the spirit of addiction. Jesus came to set the captives free as He said in Luke 4:18-19,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
We just need to repent and ask the Lord to forgive us and help us walk into our freedom. Also, we need to forgive our ancestors for any part they played in opening the door to addiction that caused harm. Our dependence needs to be on the Lord, not our addiction.
If we don’t know our ancestors, we can still forgive anyone in our bloodline who was impacted by addiction. The Lord may bring to mind people outside of our bloodlines that influenced our addiction, such as pastors, teachers, people in authority, and friends. We then forgive them too.
The Blessings
When we renounce and reject the spirit of addiction, we ask the Holy Spirit what He would like to give us in its place. The Lord often shows us how He loves us and wants to heal us physically and spiritually. The Holy Spirit leads us to understand we are beloved children of God and worthy of freedom and His protection. Each Christian is adopted into the family of God as a cherished child. God does not want His children to be under any ungodly influences— including addiction. By removing the influences of the spirit of addiction, future generations do not need to suffer.
You can pray for miracle healing for others. Do you know of someone who wants to be free of addiction? How will you pray for them?
Be sure to leave your thoughts on our Facebook Group Healing Prayer Discussion.
Looking forward to your input.
Blessings,
Gena
