How Does Jealousy Affect Us Spiritually? The A-B-C Series on Ancestral Influences

Healing Ancestral Wounds

By Gena Barnhill @BarnhillGena

We are probably all familiar with the expressions green with envy, green-eyed monster, and jealous eye. The expression green-eyed monster, a synonym for jealousy, is hundreds of years old. Sometimes the words jealousy, envy, and coveting are used interchangeably. Other times jealousy is referred to as a more active behavior resulting from envy or coveting.

I would like to think these expressions refer to others and not to me. But if I am honest with myself, I need to admit I have experienced jealousy numerous times. I envied others who seemed to be more gifted in certain areas than I was. Underneath my envy and jealousy was a fear of losing something or resentment of what the other person had that I wanted.

How Does the Spirit of Jealousy Affect Us? The A-B-C Series on Ancestral Influences #jealousy #generationalcurse #prayer Share on X

Evidence of Jealousy in the Bible

The Bible speaks of jealousy. Satan was jealous of God and it led to his fall from heaven.

According to R. T. Kendall, sibling rivalry is discussed more than any other jealousy in the Bible.1 Cain’s jealousy over God’s favor to Abel, led him to murder his brother. Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy of him, and the favor their father showed Joseph, led them to sell Joseph into slavery. This pattern of sibling jealousy, rooted in envy and resentment, has passed down the generations and is seen today in many families.

Jealousy is Pervasive

No one escapes feeling jealous at some point in their life. The spirit of jealousy is insidious and works with other spirits such as abandonment, bitterness, pride, and anger in an attempt to destroy us. The Bible reminds us that our enemy, referred to as the thief in John 10:10, comes only to steal and kill and destroy. We need to recognize when we are cooperating with the spirit of jealousy, call it out, and refuse to partner with it.

Negative Consequences of Jealousy

  • Jealousy partners with fear.
  • Jealousy keeps us from hearing God.
  • Jealousy locks us in bitterness and resentment. Proverbs 14:30 says, A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
  • Harboring jealousy and envy breaks the tenth Commandment, which says we should not covet anything that is our neighbor’s.
  • Jealousy gives Satan an opening to wreak havoc in our lives when he sees we have resentment toward someone.

Counteract Jealousy By:

  • praising the Lord with gratitude.
  • looking to the Lord instead of looking to others and comparing ourselves.
  • reading Psalms 144-150, which praise God to learn how to effectively pray and thank Him.
  • forgiving our offenders so we don’t leave an open door for the enemy to harass us.
  • meditating on Bible verses that indicate God will provide for all our needs (Philippians 4;19; Matthew 6:33; Hebrews 13:5).
  • meditating on Scriptures that lead to knowing your spiritual identity (Ephesians 1:5; Colossians 3:1-3; 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 3: 1-2).

When I choose to compare myself to others and erroneously believe I lack something, I forget my identity is in Christ. He has provided everything I need. Holding on to jealousy keeps me distant from the Lord, and I miss what He wants me to know about my God-given destiny and next steps.

When others are jealous of us, it can be hard not to take it personally. We may feel persecuted, slandered, and singled out. Those jealous of us may recognize Christ in us and are unaware their hatred is directed at the Lord, not us. We can pray for them and forgive them for mistreating us. We can find walking in victory scriptures to support us during these challenging times.

Can Anything Good Come from Jealousy?

R. T. Kendall suggested that when people are jealous of us, we can take it as a sign that the Lord is preparing us for something important in our future.2 Even though we may hurt for a while, our grief will turn into joy. When Joseph met his brothers many years after they sold him into slavery, he said to them, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” (Genesis 50:20).

We can take assurance God is working in our lives from Romans 8:28, which says, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 

We Can Overcome Jealousy By:

T– Thanking the Lord and praising Him. First Thessalonians 5:18 says, Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

H– Having an open heart and mind so we can receive from God.

A- Asking the Lord to show us any areas of unforgiveness and jealousy or envy and then acknowledge them.

N– Nullifying the jealousy by saying that we are no longer partnering with jealousy and asking for forgiveness for yielding to it.

K– Know that we are forgiven once we repent.

 

Before I share a prayer with you, I would love for you to have an opportunity to chime in. How have you dealt with jealousy?

Be sure to share your thoughts in our Facebook Group Healing Prayer Discussion.

We are all stronger when we learn from each other. Looking forward to your input.

Blessings,
Gena

1R. T. Kendall, Jealousy- The Sin No One Talks About (Lake FL: Charisma House, 2010), p. 40.

2R. T. Kendall, Jealousy- The Sin No One Talks About, p.104.

 

Prayer to Walk Victoriously 

Lord, I ask You to forgive me for yielding to the spirit of jealousy and not trusting you to provide all I need. Help me to stop comparing myself to others. I ask You to show me how You see me and how You see others. I want to see myself and others through Your eyes. Remind me of my spiritual identity in You. I forgive all those who influenced me with the spirit of jealousy, including my ancestors. I choose to forgive ______, ______, ______, ______. I renounce the negative influences of jealousy and break their power over my life, my family, and all future family in Jesus’s holy name. I receive Your blessings, Lord, and replace jealousy with __________________.

Note: Ask the Holy Spirit what He wants to give you in place of jealousy to complete the last blank in the prayer.

In case you missed the rest of the Ancestral Influences Series, here is the link to the Archives:

https://simpleeffectiveprayer.com/category/healing-ancestral-wounds/