Saturday, 4th January, 2025
By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:1-3 KJV).
Someone asked the question: “How powerful are curses or blessings spoken by parents over their children?” Such curses or blessings, according to the Bible, have impactful implications; they could be quite powerful. When you study the Bible, you’d find blessings by parents and curses by parents and how they came to pass.
Being born again, it’s important to understand that we’re called into a life of blessings by God. We were called to inherit a blessing (1 Peter 3:9). If, however, you had a problem with your parents before you were born again and they pronounced a curse on you, now that you’re born again, that curse will no longer have any effect. You should nevertheless go and reconcile with them. That’s important. If reconciliation is impossible or difficult, consult your pastor. Your pastor can counsel you and guide you on what to do next.
If you were already born again and then your parent cursed you, generally, that curse will not work. However, if your actions were contrary to the Word of God, you could face real trouble. This is because being outside the Word of God places you in a vulnerable position where such a curse could have an effect on you. Remember the Israelites in Egypt: when the death angel was to come into Egypt, God instructed them to mark their doorposts with blood. This marked them out from the Egyptians, protecting them from harm.
Similarly, staying within the Word of God and functioning according to God’s principles keeps you protected. If you live outside the Word, you open yourself to potential danger; you break the hedge as it were. And the Bible says, “…whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him” (Ecclesiastes 10:8).
God wants us to live in peace, for He has called us to peace, especially with our parents. The Bible teaches us to honour our parents as stated in Ephesians 6:1-3, which is a quote from Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16. This commandment comes with a promise: that it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth. Christian parents should also never curse their children but bless them.
PRAYER/CONFESSION
"Dear Father, I thank you for the priceless sacrifice of Jesus Christ who bore our sins and took our judgment upon Himself. Thank you for reconciling the world to yourself, and now we have the ministry of reconciliation, to share this glorious truth with others, in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
FURTHER STUDY
1 John 4:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:20
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew 4 & Genesis 9-11
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Matthew 2:13-23 & Genesis 4
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