Our Words Matter in the Spiritual Realm

June 6, 2022

I heard a story about some prayer moms who were prayer walking the grounds of a public high school. They met weekly to walk around the perimeter of the school and ask God to bless the students, their families, the teachers, support staff, and administration. One week they saw a man 1in front of the school. They began talking and when the moms asked him what he is doing he said, “I am here cursing the students of the school, and praying that they will all give their lives to satan.”

Were the moms or the man doing anything that mattered? Can we speak a blessing or a curse on a person that will have any effect? Does the person being blessed or cursed need to hear the words for them to matter? To explore these questions, I ask you to think about whatever chair you are currently sitting in.

The world teaches us that your chair is real. I propose that the chair you are sitting in is simply passing. It is not real because it will rot and decay, and one day it will be discarded. What is spiritual is what is real. Curses are real. Blessings are real. They will go with you through this life and into the next life, and that makes them, in some form, eternal. We live in a physical realm that is passing. We also live in a spiritual realm that is very real and very eternal.

If you have doubts about these thoughts, ask yourself about the most important things in your life. How important is that chair to you besides the fact that it is holding you up right now? What are the most important things that have shaped your life? Aren’t the most important things the love and intimacy you have shared with people and God through your life? You rarely remember stuff and where it came from but you remember when a parent said, “You are important,” or “I love you,” or “You will never amount to anything.” Blessings and curses from important people like teachers stick with us for a life time. When we know God loves us we remember the date, location, and the indescribable feeling we had like it was yesterday.

The Bible tells us that blessings and curses matter in the spiritual realm. We read in Psalm 37:22, “… those the LORD blesses will inherit the land, but those he curses will be destroyed.” God calls us not to curse people but to bless them. We read in Ephesians 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” I believe that as our blessings open the doors to receive blessings from God then doesn’t it make sense that our curses could open doors for people to receive curses from satan? Think about that the next time you scream too many unmentionables at the driver in front of you.

I was on a very difficult Canadian canoe trip with a group of scouts. I was pleased to see how proud these teenagers were of themselves for they knew they had learned many great lessons about life as they had pushed themselves to their limits. I wanted the week to end in a special way, so I planned a closing campfire which would include a chance to share a blessing for each scout. I thought this would be very meaningful for the scouts, but I was not prepared for the life changing effect it had on many of them. They listened carefully to their blessing, and a number of the scouts approached me after the campfire with new plans for the direction of their lives. I was wonderfully overwhelmed with how God had used my simple words of blessing and moved the scouts to think deeply about their lives.

Since this experience I look for any opportunity to share a blessing upon people, both in person and in my private prayer life. I’ve seen this impact my children and grandchildren over and over. This has been an immeasurable blessing in my own life. God has moved me to bless people I don’t get along with, and I’ve seen new friendships and respect blossom from being obedient. Have you ever thoughtfully blessed someone? It is very simple to do, and practice makes perfect. Is there someone you don’t like? What blessing can you lift up for them? Think about the words you say to people this week, and stay away from curses. Look for opportunities to bless those around you.