Many people believe in the power of prayer and its ability to produce positive outcomes in their lives. Prayer has been used for centuries as a means of communicating with a higher power and seeking guidance, strength, and support. However, there is a darker side to prayer that some individuals believe in – the ability to put curses on others through prayer. The idea of cursing someone through prayer may seem unusual or even shocking to many. It goes against the traditional understanding of prayer as a benevolent and virtuous act. Nevertheless, some individuals believe that they can use prayer to cause harm to others or bring misfortune upon them.
I love the story of Balak and Balaam in the book of Numbers.
Many years ago when I was living in Boston, one night at our Wednesday evening church service, I talked to a man afterwards whom I had never seen there before. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Nevertheless, some individuals believe that they can use prayer to cause harm to others or bring misfortune upon them. Proponents of the idea that curses can be cast through prayer often argue that prayer is a potent tool that can manipulate spiritual forces. They believe that by using specific words or rituals, one can invoke negative energies or entities to act upon someone, causing them harm or suffering.
118 – No One Can Put a Curse on You
Today we’re going to talk about a pretty heavy duty topic: whether someone can put a curse on you or not. But just as a mother hen protects her chicks from harm, God protects us from anyone trying to curse us. We are safe in God’s presence.
Over the years, I have met people who believed they had been cursed.
And there are people in the world who think they can put a curse on someone and teach others to do the same.
Later in this episode I’ll share a couple of experiences when someone thought they were putting a curse on me.
Should Christians curse their enemies?
Sometimes I have even heard people who call themselves Christians, cursing a person, organization, church, or country, they disagree with politically or theologically.
Have you ever heard anything further from what Jesus would do? And yet these so-called Christians pray for their enemies to be cursed with defeat and even death.
Did they not know Jesus taught us to do the exact opposite in the Sermon on the Mount?
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:44, 45 NKJV
So technically, to answer the question, “Can someone put a curse on you?” the answer is sort of a yes.
This is what I mean. They may think that’s what they can do. But a so-called curse, in and of itself, is absolutely harmless unless we are afraid of it or believe it has power over us.
The curse without a cause
The book of Proverbs promises us
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim. Proverbs 26:2 NLT
A curse does more harm to the person who utters it than on the intended victim. Why? Because it makes their heart bitter, cold, and cruel.
The desire to harm others is not a healthy state of mind and will eventually come back upon the perpetrator.
A friend of mine put it this way: A curse can’t go any further than the nose of the person uttering it.
Psalm 91
The 91 st Psalm explains why this is true. It assures us that God is always protecting us from every form of evil.
But we have to put all our trust in God.
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.
If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. Psalm 91:1, 4, 5, 9-11 NLT
So, if you think someone is cursing you, you can rest under the feathers of the Most High, that’s a metaphor by the way. God doesn’t have literal feathers and wings. It represents how close God’s love and protection are to us. Just picture yourself as a baby bird in a nest under the feathers of your mother. Am other bird will do everything to protect her babies.
God is like that but more so.
Balak could not curse the Children of Israel
I love the story of Balak and Balaam in the book of Numbers.
Balak sees the vast hordes of the children of Israel and feels threatened. He’s afraid for his safety and for his geographical territory. There’s a clue as to why a person might think they want to curse someone, they are afraid. Or they want to be in control of their little world.
The remedy for fear is always love. That’s exactly why Jesus said “love your enemies, bless those who curse you.”
Balak tries repeatedly to get Balaam to curse the Israelites with every method of persuasiveness he can think of. But Balaam refuses to curse them because he knows God has blessed them. A curse would be pointless.
And even if Balaam had cursed the children of Israel, they would not have been cursed in God’s eyes.
It’s an example of the promise in Proverbs, “an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.”
There’s a lot more to that story and it get’s pretty interesting including a talking donkey. If you want to read the whole thing, check it out in chapters 22 and 23 of Numbers.
The point is that Balak was trying to curse the Israelites, but it had no effect because God had blessed them.
That’s our protection too. God had blessed us. When we trust and obey God, we are protected and the “undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.”
Does that mean there is ever a curse that is deserved? No.
Does God curse us?
Some people feel God has cursed them because they were disobedient to God. There are actually times in the Bible when disobedience to God’s commandments brings devastation, disease, defeat in battle, and even death.
If we have sinned or disobeyed God, and refuse to repent, we may feel the discomfort of God’s light destroying the darkness. Especially if we hold onto the darkness, it seems our world is coming to an end.
But it’s only the darkness that comes to an end. It’s only the darkness that is cursed by God. God still loves us and brings the light to us.
Someone tried to curse me
There have been a couple of times when someone tried to put a curse on me. They actually came out and said they were cursing me.
Many years ago when I was living in Boston, one night at our Wednesday evening church service, I talked to a man afterwards whom I had never seen there before. We got into an intense conversation very quickly.
He wanted me to sign a couple of large, hand lettered documents. One set out his beliefs about God and the universe. The other talked about all the ways he planned to save the world with his ideas.
Some of the ideas were generic enough, like loving your neighbor and being nice to people, but there were some things that were a long way from what Jesus said.
And his ideas for saving the planet sounded a bit naïve to me, like printing bumper stickers with catchy slogans.
I told him I didn’t agree with all his propositions. He became furious.
I am not making this up. I promise. He said, “I am King Bing Bang Walla Walla Blue Jay. You must sign these documents.”
I declined. That made him even madder. He threatened me. He tried to sweet talk me. He tried everything he could think of. I remained quiet and did not respond to his threats.
I had to get him out of the church
We were still in the church. I had started the conversation hoping to share some ideas from the Bible I thought might be helpful to him, but I had long since realized I needed to get him out of the church as quickly as possible.
But I had to be very careful because it was clear he was much stronger than me and he was getting aggressive.
Finally, he pushed me hard in the chest, challenged me to fight, and said, “What are you a man or a mouse?”
I said in my best church mouse voice, “I guess I’m a mouse.” That sort of took the aggressiveness out of him. He couldn’t hit me. Although he had been ready to.
It reminded me that verse from Proverbs:
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 NKJV
I kept telling him it was time to go. He was very upset – that’s putting it mildly – that I had not signed his documents and recognized his authority.
As I was ushering him out of the building, he started cursing me and said I would become blind because I didn’t see who he was or the value of what he was doing.
The vehemence with which he delivered his curse was pretty intimidating. And I must say it shook me up a little.
He left muttering and sputtering
I left prayerfully, full of gratitude God’s protection during the conversation. I prayed to bless this man and eventually had a feeling of love and forgiveness for him.
And I also prayed to know, and was assured by God, that this man’s curse was powerless and could have no effect whatsoever on me. And that was certainly the case. I did not become blind.
It came to me later he might have been trying to start some sort of cult or something and be its leader. But I have no idea of what happened to him.
Another guy tried to put a curse on me
Several years later, when I was living in Texas, a fellow and I were having a conversation, which turned into a heavy duty theological disagreement.
The guy started shouting, saying I was going to hell because I didn’t agree with him 100% on what the Bible said.
Then he took on the air of his version of a prophet calling down thunderbolts from heaven on me.
He pronounced all kinds of curses that would come on me within the next ten days. I don’t remember everything he said, but he was vehement and spoke with absolute conviction.
I didn’t respond in the way he did. I stayed calm and didn’t react.
I think he ended the conversation by stomping off, full of fury, self-righteousness, and condemnation of me.
It took me a few minutes to catch my breath.
I knew in theory that the curse he pronounced on me was powerless, because it had not come from God. But I prayed earnestly to feel God’s presence.
Even for the sake of argument, let’s say I was wrong with my theology, I don’t think God would punish me the way this man prophesied, but would bring me to see things more clearly. In 1 Timothy it says God ”
wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4 NLT
Prayer and forgiveness
Once again, I had to forgive this man, and ask God to bless him with a sense of love.
I prayed earnestly the next ten days to not be afraid of what the guy had said or his hatred toward me. As it turned out, none of the dire predictions came to me.
I was grateful for God’s love and protection. And for the realization that the so-called curse this man thought he put on me was absolutely powerless.
If this sort of thing ever happens to you, there is no need to be afraid. It’s a time to be grateful for God’s love and protection. You are safe under the wings and feathers of the Almighty, as Psalm 91 so poetically promises us. But you do need to pray. Pray to bless whoever thinks they want to curse you. Pray to love and forgive them.
No one can put a curse on you
I love the time early in Jesus’s ministry when he ruffled a few self-righteous theological feathers in his local synagogue in Nazareth. Luke says
…the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:28-30 NLT
But the animosity the people felt toward Jesus could not touch him.
It’s times like this when it’s good to remember
The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1 NLT
No one can put a curse on you. You are safe in God’s care.
We should never curse anyone
And it goes without saying that we should never curse anyone, just because they did us harm or we strongly disagree with them.
Referring to the tongue, which represents the words that come out of our mouths, James says:
Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! James 3:9, 10 NLT
There are some Christians who need to take these verses to heart.
And just to take a little aside here, saying no one can put a curse on you does not mean you will not face challenges or resistance to your faith.
Jesus knew this and forewarned his disciples that they would experience the same persecution that he did (see John 5:20).
We may face this same persecution Jesus experienced, but it is just as harmless as someone cursing you.
How to pray when someone tries to curse you
So let’s talk about how to pray when it feels like someone is cursing you.
Remember Jesus walking through the crowd. How could he do that?
Well, he didn’t react. He didn’t take it personally.
He had rebuked some self-righteous tendencies in the attitudes of his listeners and they reacted. On the surface that’s what was going on.
But what was really going on was the carnal mind was rebelling against the presence and authority of God sending the Christ to save mankind.
What’s really going on when someone curses you
Paul explains that the carnal mind is the real culprit in this situation and others like it:
the carnal mind is enmity against God; Romans 8:7 NKJV
It may look like the animosity was hurled at Jesus by attempting to hurl him over the cliff.
It may look like the enmity of the carnal mind is focused on you when you take a stand for Truth and someone thinks they can curse you.
But the hatred, or enmity, hostility, of the carnal mind is actually aimed at God.
The carnal mind does not have enmity toward God. The carnal mind is the enmity itself against God.
But to no avail. Evil cannot destroy good. Darkness cannot destroy light. Satan cannot overcome God.
The full armor of God
When you feel someone has tried to curse you, it’s time to put on the spiritual armor detailed in Chapter 6 of Ephesians. God has equipped us and protected us.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:11-18 NIV
I love this last verse which encourages us to pray, not just for ourselves, but for all the people of God.
When you trust in God, and put on this spiritual armor, you are safe in God’s care.
And no one can put a curse on you.
Please join me in week 2 of our special prayer project: 22 Ways to Pray with the Mindset of Jesus in 2022. You can download the list of weekly prayer topics here.
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. He conducts Bible workshops online and in person. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Contact him here.
Bible references
Matthew 5:44, 45 NKJV
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Proverbs 26:2 NLT
2 Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.
Psalm 91:1, 4, 5, 9-11 NLT
1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
9 If you make the LORD your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
Proverbs 15:1 NKJV
1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
1 Timothy 2:4 NLT
4 wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Luke 4:28-30 NLT
28 the people in the synagogue were furious.
29 Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,
30 but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
Psalm 27:1 NLT
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
James 3:9, 10 NLT
9 Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.
10 And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!
John 15:20 NIV
20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
Romans 8:7 NKJV
7 the carnal mind is enmity against God;
Ephesians 6:11-18 NIV
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
Moreover, these believers often cite instances from religious texts or personal experiences to support their claim. They may refer to passages in religious scriptures that mention curses or instances where negative outcomes were attributed to the prayers of individuals. Additionally, some individuals claim to have witnessed or experienced the effects of curses firsthand, further reinforcing their belief. Despite these beliefs, it is important to note that the majority of religious and spiritual traditions discourage or outright condemn the act of putting curses on others through prayer. Most religions teach values such as love, forgiveness, and empathy, which are antithetical to the idea of causing harm to others. Additionally, many view prayer as a means of fostering positive change within oneself, rather than manipulating external circumstances. Ultimately, the belief in putting curses on others through prayer is a highly controversial and divisive topic. The power and effectiveness of prayer itself remain a subject of debate, with scientific studies producing mixed results. While some individuals may firmly believe in the ability to cause harm through prayer, the majority of religious and spiritual traditions advocate for using prayer as a means of cultivating positivity, compassion, and personal growth. In conclusion, the idea of putting curses on others through prayer is a contentious belief that goes against the traditional understanding of prayer as a benevolent act. While some individuals believe in the ability of prayer to cause harm, the majority of religious and spiritual traditions discourage such actions and emphasize the importance of using prayer for positive purposes. The effectiveness of prayer itself remains a subject of debate, with no conclusive evidence to support or discredit its ability to influence external circumstances..
Reviews for "Breaking Down the Myths: Can Prayer Actually Curse Someone's Life?"
1. Jessica - 1/5 stars - I was extremely disappointed with "Can you put a curse on someone through prayer". The title is misleading and suggests a different approach to prayer. Instead, the book promotes negativity and encourages negative intentions towards others. I believe prayer should be about love, forgiveness, and positive energy. This book is a complete misrepresentation of what prayer stands for and how it can benefit our lives.
2. Michael - 2/5 stars - As someone who values compassion and empathy, I found "Can you put a curse on someone through prayer" to be distasteful. The idea of using prayer to harm others goes against everything I believe in. The author failed to explain the potential consequences of this negative approach, and it left me feeling uncomfortable. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking genuine spiritual guidance or personal growth.
3. Anna - 1/5 stars - I found "Can you put a curse on someone through prayer" to be morally objectionable. Prayer should be used as a tool for healing, understanding, and promoting positive change. This book, however, encourages readers to channel their negative emotions towards others and use prayer as a weapon. I believe in the power of prayer, but only when it comes from a place of love and kindness. I would advise others to steer clear of this misguided book.