CURSES
When we think of curses today we often picture a witch doctor doing some voodoo magic over someone, or perhaps a person sticking needles in a doll while reciting jinxes and spells. But curses go way beyond that. Anyone who wants something bad to happen to someone else, and states so, can be putting a curse on that person. If demons are involved in the person’s life they can hear what is said and take it as a prayer to themselves. That empowers them to then seek to carry out what the person wanted to happen. It can be done by someone who doesn’t like us, hates Jesus or feels they have been hurt by us. It is serious and happens more than we think. That in itself makes it extra dangerous.
Parents can curse their children by saying they wish they hadn’t had them, they hate them, don’t want them they are no good and will never amount to anything, and so forth. We can curse ourselves (Proverbs 6:2) by saying we hope we die, that we aren’t good enough, that we’ll never be happy or any of many such things about ourselves.
The area of curses is a less common but still a strong opening to demonic access. To curse someone is to ask for evil to happen to them. Those requests (really prayers) are heard by Satan and his forces and ‘answered’ when possible. This includes everything from occult and witchcraft curses to one individual ‘wishing’ harm on another. Balaam was paid to curse Israel, but God wouldn’t allow it (Numbers 22 – 24). These curses, when in effect, can also be passed on from generation to generation. The Bible says that speaking evil of someone is the same as cursing them (Romans 12:14). Things like: “I hope you die…” “Since he/she won’t love me I wish they’d …..” “You’re no good, you’ll never amount to anything…” “I hope she gets some of her own medicine…” “I hope your children do ….. to you when you grow up.” You can even curse yourself by what you say (Proverbs 6:2). Our words are powerful and important. They aren’t something to be taken lightly. Using profanity (“curse” words) also falls into this category. When someone “damns” someone to “hell” that is an awful, awful thing to say! Demons love to hear it, they use the power of the hate in the speaker and will latch onto any authority or justification to do their evil!
Balaam tried to curse the Jews (Dt 23:4). The Bible says we can curse others (Ps 109:17). Demons use this as an excuse to work against the person, as a ‘prayer’ to gain access. Old Testament men (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc. Gen 27:23, 38) would bless or curse their children (Genesis 48:20). Sometimes they even put a curse on them, as Abraham did with Ishmael and Isaac cursed Esau. The Levites were used to pronounce blessings (Dt 10:8; 21:5). When Naomi came back to Israel she said she was to be called ‘mara’ because things had turned ‘bitter’ for her. A father is to bless his children by his words and send them into life with his and God’s blessing. What you have done is the opposite.
If you feel this may have happened to you remember to “Bless them that curse you” (Matthew 5:44). Treat the person with love and kindness, for when you return good for evil the “undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Proverbs 6:2). Break that curse against you in Jesus’ name, claiming Galatians 3:10,13 which says “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.'” Ask God to turn the curse to a blessing (Deuteronomy 23:5).