Strength 2026
Blessings and Curses
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Discussion Point #1: There are stipulations on curses, and in the same capacity, there are stipulations on blessings. Neither comes without cause. Everyone speaks of the blessings of God, but what leads us into the blessings of God?
Isaiah 1:18-20 (AMP)
18“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool. 19“If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the best of the land; 20But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Proverbs 26:2 (AMP)
2Like the sparrow in her wandering, like the swallow in her flying, So the curse without cause does not come and alight [on the undeserving]. [Num 23:8]
Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (AMP)
1“Now it shall be, if you diligently listen to and obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all of His commandments which I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you pay attention to the voice of the Lord your God. 3“You will be blessed in the city, and you will be blessed in the field. 4“The offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your animals, the offspring of your herd and the young of your flock will be blessed. 5“Your basket and your kneading bowl will be blessed. 6“You will be blessed when you come in and you will be blessed when you go out. 7“The Lord will cause the enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they will come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways. 8The Lord will command the blessing upon you in your storehouses and in all that you undertake, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you. 9The Lord will establish you as a people holy [and set apart] to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk [that is, live your life each and every day] in His ways. 10So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you. 11The Lord will give you great prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. 12The Lord will open for you His good treasure house, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow. 13The Lord will make you the head (leader) and not the tail (follower); and you will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen and pay attention to the commandments of the Lord your God, which I am commanding you today, to observe them carefully. 14Do not turn aside from any of the words which I am commanding you today, to the right or to the left, to follow and serve other gods.
Discussion Point #2: What are some examples of obeying God? What are some blessings in our lives that we can attribute to obeying God?
Trusting in God
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMP)
7“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. 8“For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters, That spreads out its roots by the river; And will not fear the heat when it comes; But its leaves will be green and moist. And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought Nor stop bearing fruit.
Worship
Psalms 128:1 (AMP)
1Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with obedience], Who walks in His ways and lives according to His commandments. [Ps 1:1, 2]
Reading God's Word
Proverbs 4:20-22 (AMP)
20My son, pay attention to my words and be willing to learn; Open your ears to my sayings. 21Do not let them escape from your sight; Keep them in the center of your heart. 22For they are life to those who find them, And healing and health to all their flesh.
Discussion Point #3: What causes curses in our lives? What can give access to curses or problems to come into our lives?
Words
Sometimes we can curse our own lives through our words. Words create access, but they stem from thoughts. That’s why we take every thought captive, because what we think, we become.
Proverbs 18:21 (AMP)
21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words. [Matt 12:37]
2 Corinthians 10:5 (AMP)
5We are destroying sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ,
Idolatry
Idolatry is anything that takes a greater place in your life than Jesus. It can also be the literal worship of a false god.
Deuteronomy 27:15 (AMP)
15‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved or cast image (idol), a repulsive thing to the Lord , the work of the hands of the artisan, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
Discussion Point #4: Now that we know what leads to blessings versus what leads to curses, it is up to us to choose. What does choosing life look like in our everyday lives?
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (AMP)
19I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore, you shall choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding closely to Him; for He is your life [your good life, your abundant life, your fulfillment] and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord promised (swore) to give to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
The choice is ours; what we do with it is up to us. Jesus gives us the option, while the devil gives us the appearance of free will and choice while slowly taking away our options and our freedom.