Worry is a mild curse, complaining is a negative prayer—accumulated, they become reality. Transform worry into care and confidence. Care is tangible protection; confidence is intangible blessing. Praise, prayer, and blessings are heaven's greatest wealth and gifts to every person.This is a true story
Shocking: Child Had Been Living Under Parents' Curse All Along (Public Health Network)
In Portland, Oregon, there lived a pastor and his wife. They had a son who caused them much distress. Not only that, but this son had run away from home and cut off all contact for three or four years.The pastor sought out a counselor and shared his anguish.
After a brief conversation, the counselor looked at him and asked, "How long have you been cursing your son?"
The pastor was taken aback. "You say I've been cursing my son? What do you mean?"
The counselor replied, "Cursing means speaking and thinking negatively about another person. Everything you just said tells me about your son's faults. How long have you cursed him like this?"
The pastor lowered his head and said, "Yes, I've cursed him since the day he was born. I've never spoken a single kind word about him."
The counselor said, "And it hasn't worked, has it?"
The pastor answered, "No."
Then the counselor said, "I now challenge you and your wife to take on a challenge. What challenge? For the next two months, whenever you think of this son, bless him instead of focusing on his faults. I want you to pray, asking heaven to bless him.Whenever you mention him, I want you to remember his good qualities and speak only well of him."
After returning home, the pastor shared this with his wife. They agreed with the counselor's advice and were willing to try it. When they prayed for their son, they asked heaven to bless him; when they talked about him, they made an effort to recall and discuss his strengths.
They kept this up every day. Around the tenth day, the pastor was studying in his study when the phone rang. To his surprise, it was his son on the other end!
The son said, "Dad, I'm not sure why I'm calling you, but I just wanted to tell you that for over a week now, I've been thinking about you and Mom, and the rest of our family. I really wanted to call and see how you've been doing lately."
The father exclaimed emotionally, "Son! I'm so glad you called."
They chatted for several minutes before the father asked, "I don't know how you feel about it, but would you like to have lunch together this Saturday?" The son readily agreed.
At lunchtime that weekend, father and son met. The son wore tattered clothes and had messy, unkempt hair.In the past, the father would have harshly reprimanded his son. This time, however, he met his son with acceptance, silently blessing him. After asking his son questions, he listened to his answers. When the son said something right, he affirmed him.
As the lunch date drew to a close, the son looked at his father and said, "Dad! I don't know what happened, but I really enjoyed spending time with you today."
The father replied, "Son, I've enjoyed being with you too!"
The son said, "Well, Dad, can I stay home tonight? Just tonight. I want to see Mom and the family, and my old bed."
The father said, "Of course! We're so glad you're with us."
That entire day, the father realized with a start how dramatically things changed when he stopped cursing his son and replaced it with blessings.
That night, as his son lay in his own bed, the father came into his room, sat down, and said, "Son, I've been so unkind to you over the years. Will you forgive me?"
The son replied, "Dad, of course I forgive you!" Then he embraced his father, and their relationship began to mend.
But when did their reconciliation truly begin? It started when the parents began blessing their son. Like a farmer sowing seeds, we reap what we sow.If we sow seeds of curses, we will reap curses; if we sow seeds of blessings, we will reap blessings. So what exactly constitutes a "curse"? 1. Lies: Many parents lie to escape their children's clinginess, believing children are easily deceived.In reality, children are remarkably perceptive. They notice many of our inconsistencies and oversights. When this happens, children may feel abandoned, like a burden. The resulting negative emotions include: disappointment, a lack of security, low self-esteem, and a loss of trust. 2. Restrictions: Sometimes, parents demand obedience and impose numerous rules not for the child's benefit, but for their own convenience.For instance, parents may force children to follow their own ideas and methods for various reasons, confidently assuming their own perspective is correct and that the child must feel the same way. Yet this confidence can sometimes lead parents to coerce children into choices against their will, labeling non-compliance as "disobedience." For children, who lack autonomy, "obedience" in such situations becomes a straitjacket. Their negative emotions in these moments include: anger, resentment, suppression, and complaints.
3. Lack of Communication:
As a child's first and most valued friend, parents are the ones children most hope to communicate with freely and understand each other. Many parents like to say, "I know what you're thinking.I went through the same thing at your age." Yet as people grow, change is inevitable—which is why we laugh at our childhood foolishness. Parents often demand children avoid such "foolishness" based on their own mature perspectives, while simultaneously claiming "understanding." This easily leads children to withdraw, fostering negative emotions like loneliness, sadness, helplessness, and loss.
Afterword
This principle applies everywhere—superiors to subordinates, husbands to wives, in-laws to daughters-in-law... Would you rather receive blessings or curses? Then choose to treat others as you wish to be treated!
If we shift our inner thoughts and the way we speak to others—especially by focusing on their strengths and virtues, or by blessing and praying for them whenever their flaws come to mind—we'll be pleasantly surprised to discover, after some time, that their circumstances or our relationship has subtly improved. Let us resolve all interpersonal challenges through praise, prayer, and blessings!!!