Christians who exhibit godly principles are lights that bring hope to the lost in a dark world. There are numerous attitudes that oppose effective Christian living and growth in our Lord Jesus Christ. One such opposing attitude in our generation is the act of “invoking a curse or imprecation on others to seek justice.” In contemporary times, people tend to seek spiritual justice through lesser gods due to disagreements with one another.
As the salt and light of the world, we should carefully guide our tongues. Words uttered by believers should be seasoned with salt (Colossians 4:6). As people of God, we should turn to the Lord in times of threat, rather than resorting to cursing or imprecating. Seeking justice from lesser gods or uttering ill wishes upon someone falls into the category of imprecation. Imprecations are strong and often angry statements, words, or curses used to express strong disapproval or wish harm upon someone or something.
Many people in our generation invoke curses or maledictions on others due to grudges they hold. It is disheartening that people of God use the names of lesser gods such as “antoa nyamaa, botworowa, tom kramo,” etc., to wish harm or death upon others they have issues with. It is crucial to note that invoking a curse with the name of lesser gods is an act of worshiping them. The Scriptures clearly state, “You shall have no other gods before or beside me” (Exodus 20:3). Using gods to curse indicates full commitment to their control.
As we are empowered to transform our world, the act of invoking imprecations should find no place among us. The use of imprecatory prayers from the Book of Psalms today should be reserved for our spiritual enemies (Ephesians 6:12). In the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, despite facing the greatest injustice in human history and being condemned to death by His enemies, He never cried out to His Father for justice. Praying imprecations on human foes is unjustifiable and requires taking these prayers out of context. In the New Testament, Jesus exhorts us to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44–48; Luke 6:27–38). Praying for their death or wishing harm to befall them is not what He meant. Instead, we are to pray for their salvation first and foremost, and then for God’s will to be done. There is no greater blessing than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that’s what Jesus means by praying for and blessing those who curse us.
Praying in this manner allows God to work in our lives, softening our hearts toward our enemies so that we may have compassion for their eternal destiny, and removing bitterness and anger from our hearts. Praying for God’s will means we agree with God and submit ourselves to His divine sovereignty, even when we don’t fully understand what He’s doing in a particular situation. If someone offends you, seek God in prayer, leaving room for God’s judgment and trusting Him to do what is best. This is the path to peace with God and all men (Romans 12:17-21).
Again, Jesus instructed His disciples to love their enemies and do good deeds without considering how the other person may react. According to Jesus, God acts kindly toward “ungrateful and evil men.” This is distinctly different from a cursing attitude. Additionally, God’s kindness toward evil men should inspire His children to show kindness to one another.
In Matthew 6:14–15, Jesus stated that forgiveness is a mark of His disciples, and to be unforgiving is a sign of a non-believer. It is evident that forgiveness and imprecation are mutually exclusive, as one cannot curse and forgive the same individual. Imprecation is inherently excluded, as believers are expected to forgive others (Matthew 10:16-23). As followers of Jesus go forth to proclaim His name, Jesus tells them they will face hostility and tribulation. Despite these trials and sufferings, there is no instruction on how to respond, protect oneself, or escape these sufferings. There is no hint of imprecation or retaliation against those who hate and persecute us in the life and ministry of Jesus. Once again, this provides strong evidence that imprecation is a thing of the past and not applicable to the disciples of Jesus.
Jesus’ personality is entirely at odds with the spirit of imprecation. He is described as “gentle and humble in heart” and has compassion for others (Matthew 9:36; 14:14). In John 9:54–55, when the Samaritans did not greet Jesus as He was heading toward Jerusalem, James and John asked if they should order fire to come down from heaven and consume them. Instead of allowing harm to come to the Samaritans, Jesus chastised His apostles, declaring, “The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” The message is clear: Jesus came to seek and redeem the lost, not to punish the wicked (Luke 19:10). There is no room for imprecation or cursing.
In Matthew 21:33–39, Jesus, knowing that the chief priests and elders wanted to kill Him, did not retaliate or show them compassion. Similarly, in Matthew 24:9–13, Jesus announced the afflictions the church would experience at the end of time. Despite being hated by all nations, Jesus suggests no punishments for those who persecute Him. According to Matthew 10:22, Jesus encourages His disciples to endure to the end. He instructs them to be strong and patient. Throughout the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels, it is evident that whenever Jesus had an opportunity to curse His enemies, He chose not to retaliate or offer any curses. Instead, both explicitly and implicitly, Jesus taught that believers are to expect hatred and persecution as the cost of following Him and being His witnesses (Acts 1:8).
Written by Elder Richard Agyem (Techiman Area)