Genesis 12:1-3
Covenant: A solemn promise, pledge or agreement (a vow) between two or more parties to carry out some action agreed upon or committed to.
Genesis 17:5
Genesis 21:1-3
God wants your family to inherit the Abraham blessings. Blessed means “empowered to prosper” in every area of life. The Bible is a book of Covenants sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ.
God’s first commandment to the family was found in
Genesis 1:22 - Be fruitful and multiply ...”.
Fruitful - take the seed in you and use it. (God doesn’t give you a tree but an acorn).
Multiply - reduplicate it
Some of us from today onward will stop doing things that are not fruitful in our lives. If it ain’t productive, stop doing it. Some things that have plagued and tormented your family for over 20 years is going to be broken today.
You can tell the devil for the family, “It Ain’t Over, ‘Til It’s Over” which is the title of this message.
Turn to I Samuel 30:1-6 and let’s read the story of David and his men at Ziklag.
In Chapter 29 we find that David and his army had just had great victory over the Philistines. Then in Chapter 30 we find that they come home and find that while they were gone, everything was taken from them even though they were doing a work for the Lord.
Today, I am going to give you key principles and a foundation for your family and your generations after you to be blessed. The struggles your family are having will be no more and you will recover everything that the devil has stolen (family members, time, education, marriage, etc.).
Foundations and Keys To A Blessed Family Are:
I It’s time to remove the stumbling blocks or “giants” that are hindering your family from being blessed.
A. Get rid of the giant of DISTRESS (verse 6a)
6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved...
The enemy is trying to get you in distress so that you will quit.
B. Get rid of the giant of DISCOURAGEMENT (verse 6b)
6 ...because the soul of all the people was grieved...
David’s men got so discouraged that they forgot what God did for them in Chapter 29. Discouragement causes you to lose hope so that you want to give up.
C. Get rid of the giant of DEFEAT (verse 6b)
6 ...because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters...
They had a defeated attitude like: Our family is gone...what are we going to do? They felt so defeated that they wanted to stone David. The scripture said they had a bad mood and wanted to kill him.
God will always give you a plan. Don’t give up on your family or your children or your situation.
David had to say to the enemy, “It Ain’t Over, ‘Til It’s Over”. David had to get out of disappointment, discouraged to avoid defeat. He pursued, overtook to recover all the enemy had stolen from him.
II It’s Time To Walk In The Generational Blessings For Your Family
A. Encourage Yourself In The Lord (v.6b)
David didn’t turn to anyone else but God. Men, you need to stand up and say like Joshua as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Then you will know to turn to God instead of other women, liquor, drugs, macho image. You will know that all help comes from the Lord.
David said things like “The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid”. Some of you need to encourage the ones who may had a baby out of wedlock (remember you did too) or have struggles in the flesh with men (remember you did too) instead of criticizing them.
B. Inquire Of The Lord (v. 7, 8)
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 8 And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
David needed an answer or plan from the Lord. Men and women, don’t move until you get an answer from the Lord. Most marriages would be in tact if we learned how to be patient. Turn to your neighbor and say, “be patient”.
C. Identify The Family Who Will “Fight” (verse 9 and 10)
9 So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
God has a seed in your family. There is no fruit without a seed.
Seed - raw basic material for your miracle.
Everyone has to learn their place and their gifts. You should do a skills assessment inventory of your family to find out the gifts there. For example: We set up a scholarship program for our family members and it is given out at every family reunion.
David started out with 600 but only 400 went to the battle. Everyone will not go with you. Some will faint before you get to the battle. But go ahead with the resources you have.
D. It’s time to do the battle cry for your family “It’s Ain’t Over, ‘Til God Says Its Over!” (verse 30:16-19)
Over: to bring to the underside up; to celebrate over a triumph. It means when you are down to nothing, God is up to something. (Example: Do thumbs down to up).
17 And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled. 18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives. 19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.
You need to tell the devil that your family is blessed and will not die not getting the inheritance for the family. God wants your family to recover all! Not part, but all! Recover - to snatch away; to deliver (from enemies or troubles or death); to get back; to rescue or to reclaim.
Get back what the devil stole from you: your family relationships; your grandmother died too soon; your son is on drugs; your marriage...RECOVER ALL!
Tell the devil: IT AIN’T OVER, ‘TIL GOD SAYS IT’S OVER! Tell the devil to give you back your stuff!
III It’s time to do Warfare Prayer for the family
Warfare prayer is the kind that brings the victory of Jesus over the evil in your family. Certain prayers don’t bother the devil. When you pray warfare prayers, what you get in your life is perpetual power for your family to deliver. Where there is less warfare prayer there is less.
Warfare prayer is not only used before battle, but it is the battle. Men, it’s time for you to get in place. All men stand and pray this:
Lord, help me to be the family man like Joshua and say “as for me and my house” we will serve the Lord. Forgive me Lord and let me forgive myself. I surrender all bitterness, loneliness, and low self esteem to you. I put my trust in You Lord to show me how to be the family many you called and ordained me to be. Deliver me from the bondages of the past and visit me Lord in this hour. I set my heart today to renew my mind and resolve to become the family man according to Your Word. In Jesus’ Name Amen.
Now start praising the Lord.
We are going to pray this warfare prayer over this family:
Father, I now cover myself and my family with the precious blood of Jesus. Through the blood, I am justified, through the blood of Jesus, I have peace. Lord, I ask you know to forgive me for my sins and cleanse me from any area where I have allowed satan and evil spirits into my life. I renounce any involvement with the works of darkness. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I now cancel every curse and demons that have been assigned to destroy me and my family after me. Father, I ask you to forgive the people who have spoken them against me. I refuse evil to dominate me or control me. I am release from family demons; I am released from acquired and inherited bondage such as soul ties and generational curses. We renounce any association with cults such as secret society or wrong church association or any ceremony that bound me. I thank you that no curse will any longer operate against me. In Jesus’ Name, they are broken right now. Every thing the devil has stolen from me and my family we tell the devil to restore back now, seven folds, in the Name of Jesus. We arrest and bind any territorial spirits in this city and the city where I live to be broken and bind them in Jesus’ Name. We cancel every evil that was spoken against me and ask you to cover me and my family with your protection according to your Word in Psalm 91. I release the generational blessings you have for me and my family after me into my life now. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Now praise the Lord!
IV It’s time to build a family altar.
An altar is a structure on which sacrifices are offered. In the Old Testament, they sacrificed blood of animals until the ultimate sacrifice was made in New Testament, Jesus Christ who now stands as a mediator between God and man.
Hebrews 4:16 (Paraphrased)
Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that mercy may be given to us, and find spiritual strength to help us when we need it.
So now we need to put our sacrifices on the altar. It’s time to sacrifice our will and ask God to show us what He wants us to do for our family. It’s time to get rid of bitterness, hate and we are going to put it on the Altar.
Sing, “Is Your All On The Altar or I Surrender All”. Get slips of paper and write down all hurts, bitterness, etc. Some will have to go and ask forgiveness from some in the room. Now take these and put them in a bowl of incense and we will take these to the Lord to be burned. We will seal with blood and Jesus.
