2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezekiel 39:1-40:27 ESV, James 2:18-3:18 ESV, Psalm 118:1-18 ESV, Proverbs 28:2 ESV
Daily Verse: “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” (James 3:9 ESV)
KATARAOMAI (2672): “As a verb, primarily signifies “to pray against, to wish evil against a person or thing”; hence “to curse.”[1]
Pray against
Cursing someone wishes evil upon them and prays against them. Our tongues lead the way in verbalizing our desires. When we let them loose, they can cause much damage. Although tiny, the tongue can become a mighty weapon if left unchecked.
Unfortunately, my mouth causes more trouble than I would like. During my years as a District Manager, I unwittingly said something flippant about one of my manager’s vacation requests. Not realizing I offended her, she didn’t tell me until I visited the store two months later. During that time, she stewed in anger at words I don’t remember saying.
Tame the beast.
God tells us how to tame the mighty beast of our tiny tongues. Cursing prays against someone; God wants us to pray for them.
“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44 ESV)
When we pray for someone, God changes our hearts. Over time, we begin to see other qualities about them we couldn’t see focused on our hurt. Often, they may not even know they offended you. If we don’t reign in our tongue, we can cause irreparable damage.
Jesus never hurt anyone with His words. Christ mastered the art of speaking truth in love, not letting His tongue take control. With Jesus, we can win the battle by doing what He did. Putting God first in all things, remembering our mission on earth doesn’t change, love God and others to the best of our ability, helps us overcome.
When you falter, and we all do, apologize and keep going. Forgive yourself and do better next time. Learning not to say anything in times of heated emotion will save you mountains of pain and create better relationships with those you love.
Don’t pray against people; pray for them. Everyone has struggles we can’t see. People operate from their pain and hurt us. But if we let Jesus lead the way, we won’t take offense but instead ask Him how to deal with the situation. Without a doubt, Christ’s answer always starts with love.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 133) Thomas Nelson
