Destructive words from authority figures

Description

In the teaching “Release from the Curse — Part 2”, Derek Prince speaks about the influence of words spoken by parents, spouses, teachers and pastors — people who hold a special position in another person’s life. According to him, their words may carry a blessing or a curse.

These are statements that demean a person or foretell rejection, failure, lack, illness or death for them. Prince cites Jacob’s words concerning Rachel (Genesis 31:30–32) and examples of people who were weighed down for years by statements from authority figures. He distinguishes these from curses that people pronounce over themselves.

Not every criticism, correction or painful remark, however, is a curse. It is necessary to consider who spoke, exactly what they said and under what circumstances. The pain of hearing a statement alone is not enough to regard it as a curse.

Symptoms / signs

Words such as “You will amount to nothing”, “No one will want you” or “You will never learn” may become an inner verdict over time. A person begins to see themselves through those words and later to repeat them.
Remembering them may trigger intense shame, fear or a sense that the future has already been decided. This may make relationships and taking responsibility more difficult. The examples Prince describes also include years of struggle in the area to which the spoken words referred.

Possible roots / causes

Such statements may arise from anger, frustration, bitterness, rejection or selfish ambition. Sometimes they serve as a means of control — for example, when a leader threatens a person leaving the community with spiritual downfall. They may also stem from an established family or community habit of shaming, or from speaking rashly about someone’s future.
Prince refers to James 3:14–15, pointing to a connection between wrong attitudes and the spiritually destructive character of words.

Help / what next

Name the words you remember and the person who spoke them as precisely as possible. Forgive that person without thereby treating their behavior as right. In the name of Jesus Christ, reject the false verdict and stop accepting it as the truth about yourself. Replace it with the truth of God’s Word and a prayer of blessing over your life and future.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue; whoever loves it will eat its fruit.”
Proverbs 18:21; Genesis 31:30–32; James 3:14–15.

Derek Prince — “Blessing or Curse: You Can Choose” (1990); “Release from the Curse – Part 2”: https://www.derekprince.com/sermons/327; “Why Do Words from Authority Shape Our Lives?”: https://www.derekprince.com/inspirations/c-4286-103; “Further Causes of Curses (Part 1)”: https://www.derekprince.com/radio/206.