Breaking the curses by the Power of the Holy Spirit

Great damage can result from presuming that a person is cursed. Too many believers tell someone that their problem is a curse without investigating the situation carefully.?We should never suggest that a person is cursed without the Holy Spirit’s clear insight that a demonic curse is operating in their life. You must exercise the spiritual gift of discerning spirits before making any pronouncement in this area. At the same time, you must never forget that curses really do exist and are likely to become more common as churches confront the forces of darkness with a stronger Christian witness.

Countering a Curse

The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that we should counter a curse with God’s blessing. “Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” Luke 6:28. This means that, if you are cursed in the course of your life, you should pronounce God’s well-being over the person who opposes you. You should want God’s best for that person – not the devil’s worst!

It also means that, before we seek to release a cursed person or family, we must help them to move from the place where the curse is effective to the place where they can receive God’s blessing. The cross of Christ is the only basis for this exchange. Unless people are in Christ, they cannot be released from a curse. By faith, they must be released from a curse. By faith, they must themselves claim the benefits of Jesus’ blood. Remember the ministry of release can be truly effective only when the person is in vital fellowship with Christ and a local church.

The ministry of release

The following suggestions are guidelines for the release of a person, a family or a group, from a demon-enforced curse. You must have the Spirit’s guidance at every point in the ministry process.

-Make sure that there’s real personal repentance. This may involve representative confession for the sins of other people in the family or group. But remember you cannot repent for another person’s sins. Everyone must repent personally.

– Ensure that genuine confession of faith in Christ follows repentance. The person you’re seeking to help must trust Christ’s work on the cross for their release from the curse and their transfer to blessing. There can be no religious or folklore substitute. True freedom is found only in Jesus.

– Establish a clear scriptural basis for release. The person must understand that God’s blessing flows from His Word. Galatians 3:13-14 is a good Scripture to use. “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

-Make sure that the person renounces and revokes any contact with evil – either by them or in their immediate friends and family.

-Ensure that forgiveness is extended wherever it is needed, and that all bitterness is renounced. This should be extended to the person who spoke the curse and to the one whose sin allowed the curse to take effect.

-Announce release in the name of Jesus, under the anointing and authority of the Holy Spirit. When possible, a person in spiritual authority over the person – the husband, father or a leader from their church – should do this.

-Forbid the demon that’s enforcing the curse from bringing any further suffering to the person, and to their family and descendants. Announce this in Jesus’ name. The demon should be told that the blood of Jesus is the person’s perfect protection, and that the blessing of the Lord is now replacing the influence of the curse.

-Lay hands on the person and announce God’s blessing. If they’ve not been filled with the Spirit, pray for this important blessing.

The person or people concerned must begin to walk in the blessing of God following the time of ministry. This means that you must help them to take up their personal responsibility in the Word and in personal prayer. Encourage them to live in obedience to God and to maintain close fellowship with the Lord and His people.

Spiritual release is always immediate; it doesn’t depend on what anyone feels! It does, however, take time to learn to walk in Christ’s freedom. As with all aspects of release from demonic influence, it is important to remember this spiritual principle:

Deliverance plus Discipline equals true freedom!

A prayer of release

“Father God, in the all-powerful name of Jesus Christ, I take authority over any negative words that have ever been spoken against me. I cancel and nullify them now. By the blood of Jesus, I am released from every evil influence, and from every curse, which has been made against me. I return blessing for cursing, and declare that I am blessed with every blessing in Christ. Amen.”