Scripture

Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days, the spirit prince of the Kingdom of Persia blocked my way.”

Observation

Following twenty-one days of partial fasting, David sees a vision that deeply disturbs him.

He sees a man richly dressed. Daniel falls down terrified, and his companions flee. The man reaches down to Daniel and tells him that he is precious to God. Daniel’s prayer was heard from the first day he started praying and fasting, but the spirit over Persia had blocked the man from coming until the angel Michael had assisted him.

The angel then tells Daniel to not be afraid. He will soon go to resume his battle against the spirit of Persia, but first, he will give David a revelation from God’s book of Truth.

Application

Why does it seem that God sometimes delays his answers to our prayers? According to this chapter, God hears our prayers from the moment we speak them. But sometimes the answers to our prayers can be held up by opposing spirits.

This passage opens our eyes to the reality of spiritual warfare. Angels are fighting demons, good spirits against evil spirits. The battle is real.

Many christians do not understand this. Their experience is limited to what makes sense in their head. The fact is that the spirit realm is every bit as real as the physical realm.

There needs to be balance. It is wrong to chase angelic encounters. But it is also wrong to assume that the spirit world is irrelevant to us.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for the assurance that you hear our prayers even if it seems to take longer than I would like sometimes. Please help me to understand the realities of the spirit world. Amen.