Self-inflicted curses

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit,” Proverbs 18:21.

Remember a curse is an outward expression of ill will or misfortune. And who is a bigger expert at making ill statements more than people to their own selves? In fact, this is a far bigger cause of problems among people than curses from people. The number one source of curses remains God.

This does not sound nice but that's his way of responding to sin. It's his way in the Old Testament and in the New too as was covered above. The beauty about being in the New Testament (New Covenant) era is that through Christ we don't have to go out and sacrifice animals to pay for our sins. In addition the sacrifices were insufficient to provide atonement or payment for the sins committed (Hebrews 10:4-10).

Now “there is no longer any sacrifice for sin,” Hebrews 10:18. In the New Covenant Jesus became our sacrifice, our one time sacrifice. This means when someone sins or wrongs God all that God requires is repentance with no animal sacrifices.

In addition God did more for us to enable us not to keep sinning. He put his law in our hearts. “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds,” Hebrews 10:16. But more on this in Chapter 7 “Breaking Curses from God: No.1 Source of Curses.” Let's move on to this section's topic on self-inflicted curses.

Nobody in their right mind would knowingly wish ill on themselves. Thus when someone assigns a curse on himself/herself it's nearly always as a result of ignorance. The person assumes he/she is just uttering mere words. In the realm of the spirit there are no mere words. That's why we'll be judged not just by our actions but even over the words we said.

“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned,” Matthew 12:36-37.

Through negative talk, utterances, words, and confession that is self-directed people curse themselves. God made our words to have creative powers. Just as he created everything from nothing by speaking it into being he assigned the same power over our words.

3. Curses from People

The curse from people is just as it says - curse originating from people. It comes through outward expressions that include face to face verbal dialogue, written statements, and prayers.

A person uttering a curse may be a known person to the individual, an unknown person, or even someone in the occult. The motive for uttering the curse may vary. It may include a deliberate desire to wish evil against a person, it may be as a result of a conflict and misunderstanding. It may also stem from carelessness and ignorance of the “curser” who assumes he/she is just uttering mere words.

Whoever the source of the curse is and whatever the motive for cursing the five conditions outlined in the previous chapter must all apply for a curse to have any effect on the victim.

Thus curses from people are based on outward expressions of ill will or misfortune towards someone. They are not just bad thoughts, feelings of anger or hatred towards someone. Curses are not telepathic or psychical. My other book on breaking spells deals with overcoming matters on telepathy, the psychic and tapping into the spirit world. It's titled, Breaking Occult Spells: Protection from Witchcraft and Occult Influences .

Neither can curses be received through a dream, vision, apparition, or any spiritual phenomena. They can only be expressed in the physical or earthly realm, not spiritual realm. Until such mental or any spiritual phenomena are physically uttered whether verbally or in writing they cannot result in a curse. Curses have to be expressed in the physical realm for them to have any weight.

Until such mental thoughts are physically uttered they cannot result in a curse. This outward expression includes face to face dialogue, written statements, prayers of ill will or misfortune against someone. Prayers of ill will are directed to God, seeking him to punish a person(s) or object. This was common in the Old Testament where they had physical enemies around them. They would pray to God to punish their physical enemies. It was “Love your neighbor and hate your enemy,” Matthew 5:43.

In the New Testament it is, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44. There are exceptions, though exceptions do not invalidate the rule.

For example Jesus made proclamations of ill will against the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Mathew 23 for instance is the chapter of the seven woes: “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees...”

In another example, Paul had Hymenaeus and Alexander among others “handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme,” (1 Timothy 1:20). He did not go to Satan and say “here are these guys, you can have them.” He prayed to God to have them be tormented by Satan.

It's possible that this was for a season after which Paul prayed for their deliverance. It says, “so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.” Paul's motives were pure: to have them learn not to blaspheme. Once they leant not to blaspheme God it is likely they were rescued.

The issue of praying against others ought not to be entertained in the body of Christ. Neither should we be making proclamations of ill will against others and calling them “woes.” It's not fitting to use exceptions in scripture and make them the norm.

In the late 1990s while in Nairobi, Kenya I went to a church that I later discovered used such teachings. They prayed against their enemies, seeking God to reign terror on their lives. On the day I woke up I went to seek help over family conflicts –had major differences with siblings. A prominent person there said my enemies will scatter because God says he curses those who curse us. Wha-a-a-t!! I wished for peace and understanding in my family not woe and destruction against them!

That was the last time I ever set foot there – after three years of zealous dedication and military style submission. God did later resolve the family conflicts in a loving way. And I got my brains back. Never again will I blindly accept teachings without using the mind of Christ inside of me.

The bible says we have the “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16) powered by the Spirit of God who lives in us. If we just swallow everything others say whether in church, in books, and so on without any inner analysis we could easily fall for erroneous teachings. My lesson is being shared with the burden to equip fellow believers in growing to exercise their personal responsibility in their Christian lives.

If you're in Nairobi, Kenya you may be curious what church this could be that I had a good lesson from. It's my hope and prayer that they've now aligned themselves with scripture on this area. The church is called Winners' Chapel. During the three years with them they were also heavy on the out of context prosperity gospel. As a young newly saved Christian such teachings matched so well with a business degree (MBA) I was studying at the time. Never questioned their obsession with material wealth until this cursing experience.

Their headquarters is now in London, UK, once in Lagos, Nigeria. They've many branches in many African countries and a few in North America. Some have labeled Winners' Chapel as a cult implying they worship Satan. Such statements only show spiritual immaturity, arrogance and disregard for church history.

Christian history is littered with shocking misinterpretations of scripture worse than those embraced by the likes of Winners' Chapel. Think of slavery, denial of basic (and biblical) rights to women, abusive church authority, oppression of non-Christians, including oppression of the Jews, and so on. Where these churches that embraced teachings that misinterpreted scripture all cults worshipping Satan?

Deceived: yes. False prophets: some. Devil worshipping: no. Even today the body of Christ is so diverse that with a judgmental mentality we'd easily label each other cults over differences and misinterpretations on minors.