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Japanese If you are afraid of a curse, you can pray: “Lord Jesus, I belong to you. If anyone has cursed me, turn it into a blessing, as you did for Israel, and keep me and my home in your peace. Amen.” We can pray it with confidence, because Scripture says that “the curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2).
If the fear of a curse comes with sleepless nights, a dread that never lifts, or voices and sights that no one else notices, see a doctor as well as a pastor or priest. Even the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which provides for exorcism, says, “Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science” (paragraph 1673). If you are in crisis, call or text 988 in the US, or call Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland; there are also more Christian and crisis lines.
Can a curse harm a Christian?
When Balak, king of Moab, hired the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, Balaam could not do it: “How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?” (Numbers 23:8). He added, “Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel” (Numbers 23:23). In the end the curse became a blessing, as Moses later told the people: “the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee” (Deuteronomy 23:5).
Proverbs says a curse without a cause has nowhere to land: “As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come” (Proverbs 26:2). Paul goes further in the New Testament, writing that “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), and that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
The pastor John Piper applies the verse from Galatians to hexes and voodoo as well. When he was asked in 2015 about generational curses, he answered from Galatians 3:13: “Christ has paid every debt and broken every curse.”
What about generational curses?
Some Christians pray to break curses handed down through their family, citing the second commandment, where God visits “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me” (Exodus 20:5). Yet the very next verse promises mercy “unto thousands of them that love me” (Exodus 20:6). Other passages set a plain limit: “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son” (Ezekiel 18:20), and “every man shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16).
Piper reads these passages together. The words “of them that hate me,” he says, mean that children suffer for a father’s sins when they share them, and anyone who repents is freed from both. Where a habit such as heavy drinking or violence runs in a family, it calls for repentance and prayer, and often for practical help such as counseling as well. More passages are gathered in Bible verses about generational curses.
Prayers against curses and for blessing
When you believe someone has cursed you
Lord, I have been told that someone cursed me, and I am afraid. You turned Balaam’s curse into a blessing, and I ask you to do the same for me. The psalmist prayed, “Let them curse, but bless thou” (Psalm 109:28); that is my prayer too. I renounce every spell and every charm, and I put myself in your hands alone. Amen.
For a pattern that keeps repeating in the family
Father, I see the same trouble in my family generation after generation: the drinking, the anger, the broken marriages. Let it stop with me. Forgive what I have done, and heal what was done to me. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Make that true in our family, and lead me to the help I need. Amen.
For hurtful words spoken over you
God, people have told me I would never amount to anything, and those words have stayed with me. Silence them. You made me, and I am “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Help me forgive the people who spoke them, and to believe what you say about me instead. Amen.
When one misfortune follows another
Lord, bad things keep happening, one after another, and people around me say it must be a curse. I do not understand why this is happening, but I trust you with it. Keep me from superstition and from fear, give me strength for each trouble as it comes, and show me what I can do about it. Amen.
To bless the person who cursed you
Jesus, your word says, “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not” (Romans 12:14). I will not answer a curse with a curse. Bless the one who wished me harm. Free [him or her] from whatever hatred or fear led to it, and keep my own heart clean. Amen.
For your home
Lord, I dedicate this house to you, with everyone who lives here and everyone who comes through the door. Keep evil away from it. “The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul” (Psalm 121:7). Let this home be a place of peace. Amen.
At night, when fear comes back
Father, it is dark and my fear has returned. Remind me that “greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Guard my sleep, and let me wake without dread. Amen.
Old prayers for protection from evil
The Lord’s Prayer itself asks, “deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13), and the old prayer known as Saint Patrick’s Breastplate, or “The Deer’s Cry,” names spells outright. Tradition gives it to Patrick, though the Celtic scholar Kuno Meyer, whose 1911 translation we quote here, judged that the hymn as we have it “cannot be earlier than the eighth century.”
I summon to-day all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of women and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.
Christ to shield me to-day
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise.“The Deer’s Cry,” in Kuno Meyer, Selections from Ancient Irish Poetry (1911), pp. 26–27
In the Orthodox Church, Easter Matins begins with the opening of Psalm 68, a prayer against the enemies of God: “Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him” (Psalm 68:1). The priest sings it, and in Isabel Hapgood’s 1906 translation of the service book the choirs answer each verse with “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down Death by death.”
What the churches teach about curses and spells
The Law of Moses forbids anyone “that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter” (Deuteronomy 18:10), and in Ephesus new believers who had practiced “curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men” (Acts 19:19). The churches teach the same:
- Catholics: the 1888 Manual of Prayers taught that Christians “must flee all idolatry and all false religions; also superstition, under which name are comprehended all manner of divinations, all fortune-telling, all witchcraft, charms, spells.” The Catechism condemns magic “even if this were for the sake of restoring their health,” calls the wearing of charms “reprehensible,” and rejects “the exploitation of another’s credulity” (paragraph 2117). Exorcism in a simple form is part of the Catholic baptism service; a solemn exorcism “can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop” (paragraph 1673).
- Orthodox Christians: in the baptism service the priest reads prayers of exorcism and asks, “Dost thou renounce Satan, and all his Angels, and all his works, and all his service, and all his pride?” The one being baptized, or the godparent, answers, “I do,” three times.
- Protestants pray to God directly for protection; Piper’s answer above rests on Galatians 3:13.
So if you fear a curse, these teachings all say the same: do not pay a fortune-teller, healer or “curse remover” to lift it, and do not answer a spell with another spell. Pray, and ask a pastor or priest to pray with you.
Prayer for Breaking Generational Curses
Some of us feel trapped by patterns of anger, fear or failure that seem to run in our families. In this prayer we stand in Jesus’ name to break those chains and begin a new inheritance of blessing.
Heavenly Father, I come before You in the mighty name of Jesus. I honor You as my Lord and Savior. I stand today not just for myself, but as a representative of my family line. I confess the sins of my ancestors, the known and the unknown. I acknowledge the pain, the fear, the anger, and the brokenness that has been passed down from one generation to the next. I see the heavy chains that have bound us, creating cycles of defeat and despair.
But today, I declare that this cycle ends with me. By the power of the blood of Jesus Christ, I break every generational curse, every dark inheritance, and every spiritual chain that has been attached to my family. I renounce any agreement with darkness made by those who came before me. I declare that I am a child of God, redeemed and set free. The old has gone, the new has come.
I ask You, Father, to release a new inheritance over my family—an inheritance of love, joy, peace, and faithfulness. Let blessings flow where curses once grew. Heal the deep wounds of the past and build a new foundation of righteousness for the generations that will follow me. I choose life and blessing for my family line from this day forward, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In Christ we are no longer prisoners of our family’s past. We are made new, and we can build a future full of hope on God’s promises. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Prayer for Overcoming Negative Words and Labels
Words can build us up or tear us down. When a hurtful label, spoken by someone else or even by ourselves, takes root in the heart, it can feel like a curse that holds us back from all we could be.
Lord God, You are the God of truth. Your words created the universe, and Your words speak life and purpose over me. I come to You today with a heavy heart, burdened by the negative words and painful labels that have been spoken over me. They have echoed in my mind, wounded my spirit, and tried to define who I am. I have felt the weight of “not good enough,” “a failure,” or “unlovable.”
In the authority of Jesus Christ, I now renounce and reject every one of these lies. They are not from You, and I will no longer allow them to have power in my life. I break their hold over my mind, my emotions, and my destiny. I forgive those who spoke these words against me, releasing them from my judgment and into Your hands.
Please, Holy Spirit, heal the wounds these words have caused. Pour Your truth into every broken place. Remind me of what You say about me: that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that I am chosen, loved, and redeemed. Help me to replace the old, painful soundtrack with Your song of love and acceptance, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
What God says about us is true, and it can silence every lie. When we choose to believe him, we break the curse those words laid on us. Proverbs 18:21 reminds us how much a word can do: “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Prayer for Releasing the Past and Embracing Forgiveness
Guilt and shame over what we have done can feel like a heavy curse, and they keep us from the joy and freedom God has for us. In this prayer we let them go and take hold of his forgiveness.
Father God, I come before you with an honest heart, confessing the weight of my past. I am carrying so much guilt and shame for the mistakes I’ve made and the people I’ve hurt. These memories hold me captive, making me feel unworthy of Your love and blessings. The burden of my own choices feels like a curse I can’t escape.
I thank You for the incredible sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. I believe He took all my sin and shame upon Himself on the cross. Right now, I lay down every failure, every regret, and every wrongful act at His feet. I release them to You. I choose to stop punishing myself for what You have already forgiven. Wash me clean, Lord.
Help me to truly believe that I am forgiven. Help me to forgive myself. Sever the chains of condemnation that have held me back. Fill me with the peace and freedom that come from Your grace. I want to walk forward in newness of life, not looking back at the old me, but looking ahead to the future You have planned, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When we give our past to God, he forgives it and takes it away. His grace is strong enough to break the curse of our own sin, and we have his promise in Isaiah 43:25: “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
Prayer for a Breakthrough in Finances and Provision
When money is always short, the pressure can feel like a curse that smothers us with worry and takes away our peace. This prayer asks God to break that cycle and to bless us with all we need, and more.
Lord of all creation, You own the cattle on a thousand hills, and all the gold and silver is Yours. You are Jehovah Jireh, my Provider. I come to You today feeling the strain and fear of my financial situation. The weight of debt and the anxiety of not having enough feels like a curse, robbing me of joy and keeping my focus on my lack instead of Your abundance.
I confess any fear, greed, or poor stewardship that I have operated in. I repent and turn back to You as my one true source. Today, in the name of Jesus, I break every curse of poverty, lack, and debt that has tried to attach itself to me and my family. I reject the spirit of fear and anxiety over money.
Father, I ask You to open the windows of heaven and pour out Your blessing upon my life. Give me wisdom to manage what You provide, bless the work of my hands, and open doors of opportunity. I choose to trust in Your provision, not in my own efforts. I declare that I am blessed to be a blessing, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When we trust God with our money, the curse of worry breaks, and we begin to see his abundance instead of our lack. He has promised to care for us as we seek him first, as Jesus taught in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
Prayer for Freedom from Fear and a Spirit of Peace
Fear is a spiritual enemy that can freeze our hearts and minds and work like a curse, standing between us and God’s blessings. This prayer asks God to take the fear away and give us his peace instead.
Heavenly Father, You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Yet I confess that fear and anxiety have taken root in my heart. They whisper lies in the night, steal my peace during the day, and make me feel trapped and powerless. This constant state of fear feels like a curse, holding me back from living the full life You have for me.
I bring all my fears to You now—my fear of the future, of failure, of what others think, of being alone. I lay them all at the foot of the cross. In the powerful name of Jesus, I command the spirit of fear and anxiety to leave me. I break its power over my thoughts, my emotions, and my decisions. I refuse to partner with it any longer.
Please, Holy Spirit, fill every empty space that fear has occupied with Your perfect peace—a peace that doesn’t make sense to the world. Guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Help me to fix my eyes on You, the author of my faith, and to walk forward in courage and confidence, knowing You are always with me, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
When we hand our fears over to God, we break their power over us, and we invite the Prince of Peace to reign in our hearts and bring us the blessing of his presence. Paul tells us how in Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer for Embracing Our True Identity in Christ
When we feel worthless, or as if our weaknesses are all we are, it lies on us like a deep curse and keeps us from seeing ourselves as God sees us. This prayer turns from those lies to who we really are, God’s beloved children.
Father God, Maker of heaven and earth, You designed me with purpose and love. Yet, I confess that I have listened to the wrong voices. I have allowed my failures, my insecurities, and the opinions of others to define me. I have felt insignificant and unworthy, living under a curse of a false identity that tells me I will never measure up.
Today, I choose to reject those lies. I am not who my past says I am. I am not who my fears say I am. In the name of Jesus, I break the power of every word and every experience that has told me I am worthless. I silence the voice of the accuser and choose to listen only to Your voice of love and truth.
Holy Spirit, reveal to me who I truly am in Christ. Remind me that I am Your child, chosen, redeemed, and forgiven. Help me see myself as precious, strong, and capable through You. Let the truth that I am Your masterpiece sink from my head to my heart, transforming how I see myself and how I live my life. I step into my true identity today with confidence and hope, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
We come fully into our freedom when we stop believing the lies and take hold of who we are in Jesus, because in the end what God thinks of us is all that matters. Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Prayer for Healing and Wholeness in Body, Mind, and Spirit
Sickness and emotional pain can feel like a curse that never lets up, draining our strength and our hope. This prayer asks Jesus, the Great Physician, to touch us, restore our health and make us whole.
Lord Jesus, You are my Healer. During Your time on earth, You went about healing every disease and sickness. You brought wholeness to the broken, and freedom to the captive. I come to You now, suffering in my body and mind. This affliction feels like a weight, a curse that limits my life and steals my joy. It drains my energy and my hope.
I believe that by Your stripes, I am healed. I stand on Your promise of restoration. I speak to this sickness, this pain, this anxiety, and this depression, and in the authority of Your name, I command it to go. I break any hold it has on my life. I release the miraculous healing power of God to flow through every part of my being.
Father, I ask You to restore what has been broken. Mend my body, soothe my mind, and heal my soul. Let Your life-giving Spirit flow through me, bringing strength where there is weakness and peace where there is turmoil. I receive Your healing today by faith, and I thank You for making me whole, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
By faith we can claim the healing Jesus bought for us on the cross, standing against sickness as a curse and welcoming the blessing of health from God. He promises it in Jeremiah 30:17: “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.”
Prayer for Restoring Broken Relationships
When we fall out with people close to us, the quarrel can feel like a curse that leaves us lonely and deeply hurt. This prayer asks God to move in hearts, heal the wounds, and bring us back together where there has been strife.
Lord of Peace, You designed us for fellowship and love. My heart is heavy today over the broken relationships in my life. The anger, misunderstanding, and distance feel like a curse that has brought so much sorrow and isolation. The walls between us feel too high to climb, and the damage feels too deep to repair on my own.
Father, I surrender this brokenness to You. I forgive those who have hurt me, and I ask for Your forgiveness for the ways I have caused pain. I release my pride, my right to be right, and my resentment into Your hands. I ask You to break the curse of division, strife, and unforgiveness that has taken root.
Please, Holy Spirit, go where I cannot go. Soften hearts, both mine and theirs. Bring Your healing balm to these painful wounds. Give me the wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent. Create a path for reconciliation and restore what the enemy has stolen. I ask for the blessing of unity and restored fellowship, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God can mend what is broken and bring peace where there is chaos. When we give him the hurt in our relationships, we make room for him to restore them. Paul encourages us in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Prayer for the Strength to Forgive Others
Holding on to a grudge is a heavy thing to carry, and it can feel like a curse that chains us to old hurts and keeps God’s blessings from us. In this prayer we ask God to help us let others go and so find freedom ourselves.
Merciful Father, You have shown me the ultimate example of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Yet, my heart is heavy with the poison of unforgiveness. The pain someone caused me runs deep, and I find myself holding onto anger and resentment. This bitterness feels like a prison, a curse that keeps me tied to the past and blocks the flow of Your peace in my life.
I confess that I cannot do this on my own. My own strength is not enough to truly let this go. I need Your divine help. I make a choice right now, by an act of my will, to forgive the person who hurt me. I release them from the debt I feel they owe me. I hand them over to You, trusting Your justice and Your mercy.
Lord, I ask You to break the chains of bitterness off my soul. Heal the deep wound in my heart that this offense created. When the painful memories come, help me to release them again. Fill me with Your supernatural peace and love, and free me to receive the full blessing of Your forgiveness for me, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Forgiveness is a choice we make with God’s help, whatever we happen to feel. That choice breaks the curse of bitterness and sets our own hearts free. Jesus taught in Mark 11:25, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
Prayer for Releasing God’s Purpose and Calling
When we feel stuck, aimless or unproductive, it can seem like a curse that keeps us standing still and makes us wonder what we are worth. This prayer asks God to lift that weight and lead us into the purpose he has for each of us.
Creator God, You knit me together in my mother’s womb and You have a plan and a purpose for my life. But I confess, I feel lost and stuck. I feel like I’m wandering without direction, and a feeling of stagnation has settled over me like a curse. It makes me feel useless and robs me of the passion you placed within me.
In the name of Jesus, I break this spirit of stagnation and passivity. I reject the lie that my best days are behind me or that I have nothing to offer. I repent for any fear or laziness that has kept me from pursuing the things you’ve put on my heart. I ask You to forgive me and to reignite a holy fire within my soul.
Lord, please reveal Your purpose for this season of my life. Show me the next step to take. Open my eyes to the opportunities You are placing before me and give me the courage to say “yes” to Your calling. I release myself from the curse of going nowhere and step into the blessing of a purpose-filled life guided by You, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God has a plan for each of us and is glad to lead us into it. When we shake off complacency, we find the blessing of a life full of meaning. Jeremiah 29:11 shows us his heart: “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Prayer for Protection from Spiritual Opposition
Sometimes, just as we try to move forward in faith, we feel something pushing against us, a heaviness of spirit that feels like a curse. This prayer asks God to surround us and our families with his protection.
Almighty God, You are my fortress and my shield, a tower of strength in times of trouble. I recognize that my struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of darkness. I feel the pressure of opposition, a spiritual heaviness designed to bring discouragement, confusion, and fear into my life, like a hidden curse.
Today, I put on the full armor of God that You have provided. I take up the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith to quench every fiery arrow, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is Your Word. I stand firm in the victory that Jesus won on the cross.
In Jesus’ name, I resist the devil and command him to flee. I draw a line of protection around myself, my family, my mind, and my home with the precious blood of Jesus. I declare that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. I ask for Your angels to stand guard over us and for Your Holy Spirit to lead us in victory and peace, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God has not left us defenseless, for he has given us his armor and the authority of Jesus’ name to stand firm against whatever opposes us. James 4:7 gives us a command and a promise together: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Prayer for an Open Heart to Receive God’s Blessings
Old hurts, or a feeling that we are not worth much, can close our hearts without our noticing, so that we shut out the good things God wants to give us. This prayer asks him to break that curse of a closed spirit and open us to receive his love.
Gracious Father, You are a good God, and Your desire is to pour out Your blessings upon Your children. You are generous, kind, and loving. Yet I confess that my own heart has become guarded. Past disappointments, feelings of unworthiness, or fear of being let down have built walls around my heart, and I don’t know how to receive the good things You have for me.
This closed-off spirit has become its own curse, keeping me from experiencing the fullness of Your love and grace. I ask You to forgive me. In the name of Jesus, I break down these walls of self-protection and unbelief. I choose to open my hands and my heart to You today.
Lord, teach me how to receive. Help me to believe that I am worthy of Your blessings, not because of what I’ve done, but because of who You are and who I am in Christ. Heal my suspicious and wounded heart. Increase my capacity to receive Your love, Your joy, Your peace, and Your provision. I want all that You have for me, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
God never stops offering us his goodness, but we need open hearts to receive it. Once the curse of a closed-off spirit is broken, his blessings can flow in at last. Jesus says in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
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