Key scripture- “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks” (Daniel 10:1-3).

Have you been waiting for God to answer your prayer? Are you ready to give up and throw in the towel? Before you do that, read about Daniel and why his prayer was delayed.

Daniel was praying and fasting for the people of Israel who had been oppressed for seventy years. He had abstained from meat and wine, and he only ate plain and simple foods like fruits, vegetables, and he drank water for twenty-one days, as he labored, persisted, pleaded, and agonized in prayer. During that time he thought he was not receiving a response from God.

On the twenty-second day an angel of God appeared. He revealed to Daniel that his prayer had been heard by God on the first day!

“And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:10-12).

From the first day, when Daniel prayed and humbled himself before God, his words were heard by God. I want you to understand that what applied to Daniel, applies to us as Christians. Daniel was someone who sought to know and understand God, he humbled himself before God and made himself available to God, and God heard him and answered his prayer, and we can do the same. If we choose to humble ourselves and understand Him, pray and make ourselves available to God, He will answer our prayers and can use us just like He did Daniel, because what God did then, He will still do today because He is “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews. 13:8).

Daniel is an ordinary man who had an extraordinary relationship with God. He cultivated his relationship with God by prayer and righteous living and we can too. We need to understand that the answer from God came to Daniel because he prayed. The angel came in response to prayer because Daniel sought God. Through prayer, Daniel had a relationship with God and he was able to call down Heaven to intervene here on earth.

The explanation by the angel about why the answer was delayed also shows us what is going on in the spiritual realms, and as believers how we are involved in the struggle, and how our answers to prayers can be delayed. “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come” (Daniel 10:13-14). So we see that through Daniel’s prayer, God had responded in the spiritual realms, and that our prayers and the events in the physical and spiritual realms are related.

Daniel had been praying, along with mourning and fasting, and the angel tells Daniel why it took 21-days for him to receive an answer to his prayer. He explains that on the first day Daniel’s prayer was heard and answered, but the “prince of the kingdom of Persia”, opposed the angel for 21 days when he tried to deliver the answer.

When the angel refers to the “prince of Persia”, he is not referring to Cyrus or any earthly ruler, instead he is referring to an opposing force that is spiritual. The angel is a spirit and he is being resisted in the spiritual realms. The angel is referring to a fallen angel who rules over the kingdom of Persia. That is why in the book of Ephesians, Paul, explains this about the world we live in. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:11-12).

The “Flesh and blood” world, which is the world that we live in, shows the result of the spiritual battle between heavenly forces that is played out in the spiritual realms. Through our prayer and involvement, God’s will is accomplished in the physical world because God allows us, His people, to be part of His plan, and that is why Daniel’s 21-day period of prayer coincided with the spiritual resistance.

So we see that from an earthly perspective, it looked like nothing was happening and God was not responding to Daniel’s prayer and fasting. But from a heavenly perspective a battle was raging in the heavens. God was working!

What if Daniel had given up…lost faith…or walked away from God? Consider these better questions: What if you give up? Lose faith? Walk away? Don’t! God is at work even when you do not see it! Keep waiting! The answer to your prayer is on the way and you will receive it at the right time in the right way!

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14).

Pray This – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I come before You in prayer and I humble myself. I am here to fulfill Your plans and purposes for my life. Thank You that You are “my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life” (Psalm 54:4). Thank You that Your plans for me will always be victorious. Thank You that even when people do things to me, and they mean it for evil, You always take it and use it for my good and Your glory. Like the Psalmist I proclaim, “Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:5-9). Thank You Father, that Jesus has already defeated Satan, sin and death and I live in victory because of Him. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.