When Cursed, We Can Bless

In December 2021, I was in the hospital with a family member. I saw the White House had released an official statement on the omicron variant. 

We are intent on not letting omicron disrupt work and school for the vaccinated. You’ve done the right thing and we will get through this. For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm. 

Wasn’t that shocking to read? The White House released a word curse over this nation, namely over the unvaccinated and their families. 

A curse is a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something. It is the exact opposite of a blessing. When we pray in Jesus’ name, we invoke the name of the Lord to bless, to heal, to save an individual through the power of His Holy Spirit.

I believe this administration released that statement in hopes of using fear to manipulate the unvaccinated. I do not believe they intentionally released a word curse, but unfortunately, they did. How should we intercessors respond to this—or any other words spoken as a curse?

Your Words Matter

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

The words we speak matter. Scripture says that we eat the fruit of the words we speak. When we partner with and then repeat gloom and doom, slanderous, malicious, or fear-mongering words, we come into agreement with the lies of the devil. Remember, he hates us and everything we stand for because we belong to Christ.

Our words are weighty. We have been given the authority and privilege to pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and share His message with the world. We are His representatives here on earth. Here’s how we can pray in response to a perceived curse (using the White House statement as an example):           

• Repent. Predicting a winter of severe illness and death for our families does not align with God’s Word. Let’s come before God in prayer, acknowledging this lie and all lies that originate from the devil (John 8:44).
• Revoke. Cancel the wrong confession (words of sickness and death released over people and their families). Verbally break any agreement you may have made with this statement in fear. 
• Replace. Lastly, replace the wrong confession with the right one. We know according to John 10:10 that the thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus said, “I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full.” Intercessors often pray the opposite of what the world is doing.

Praying Like Jesus Did

Jesus spent much time teaching His disciples about prayer. He taught them to bless those who cursed and hurt them. 

Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who oppose you. Implore God’s blessing (favor) upon “those who curse you” (Luke 6:28)—or revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you.

He goes on to say that when we bless those who curse and hate us, we are truly acting as children of God (Luke 6:35–36). The power of this blessing is greater than any curse. Paul emphasized this with the Roman church: “Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse” (Rom. 12:14).

We are called to bless those who curse us. We are called to pray for those who persecute us. We are called to love our enemies the same way Christ loved us when we were once enemies of the cross. 

I must confess, last year was difficult. We saw so many drastic, ungodly changes in this nation. Let’s pray for this administration once more. They don’t need curses. They don’t need memes. They need Jesus Christ, plain and simple.

GLORIA ROBLES is a frequent contributor to Intercessors for America. Reprinted with permission from The Informer.