About 3 years after our prayer warrior friend Daniel went through his trial of being thrown into the lion’s den, he had another adventure in prayer.
Daniel had received a vision in prayer, a prophecy, if you will. And it made Daniel heartbroken. In fact, he mourned for about three weeks, denying himself what he called pleasant food, wine and meat. (Some call this time a Daniel Fast, and think he mostly was eating vegetables and drinking water.)
Concerned for his people
Why was Daniel mourning and practicing self-denial for three weeks? Because he wanted to understand the timing and the meaning of the prophecy he had received. He was not mourning for himself; but for his people who had recently been given the freedom to return back to Jerusalem. They were still subjects of the Babylonians, but it was a step closer to being restored.
Daniel was an old man. Scholars feel he was probably about 84, which means he was probably 81 when thrown into the lions’ den. So, he didn’t make the hard journey back to Israel. He could be of more influence for his people right where he was serving in the Babylonian administration.
Interceding takes time
Three weeks is a long time. Why, Daniel didn’t even groom himself once!
Daniel didn’t know it, but an answer was on the way. A heavenly visitor showed up.
And the man said to me,
Daniel 10:11-13 New Living Translation
“Daniel, you are very precious to God,
so listen carefully to what I have to say to you.
Stand up, for I have been sent to you.”
When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.
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.
Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me,
and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.
Take heart: our prayers are heard
This story has layers upon layers and I could probably write tons on just this event; but for the purposes of my Transformation series, I want to point out 3 things:
- Daniel was very precious to God.
- The first day Daniel prayed, and answer was dispatched.
- Spiritual warfare ensued, threatening to keep the answer from being revealed. But God sent help!
Child of God, you are also loved, and God does hear you when you pray. Sometimes, spiritual warfare is the problem.
For though we walk in the flesh,
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 New King James Version
we do not war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments
and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God,
bringing every thought into captivity
to the obedience of Christ,
Intercessory prayer is vital
Strongholds threaten to keep the Word of God from accomplishing its purpose; but that will never happen. The Word will never return void.
Our God is mighty and victorious. We must rely on Him and fight using the Word of God as we practice intercessory prayer. Remember … put your armor on!
This is Day 26 of my Transformation: Becoming an Effective Prayer Warrior series. The goal is to write 28 posts discussing spiritual armor, the prayer of agreement and other prayer strategies.
I don’t pretend to know all the answers. I’m going to be thinking with my fingers, so to speak, as I process what is in my heart about these topics after reading the word and praying for discernment.
You can go here to see each post I will be making on this topic.
Today’s question for your consideration: What is your favorite prayer in the bible?
PREVIOUS POST – Transformation: A Warrior Has A Problem
Sharing at Anita Ojeda’s 2023 Write 28 Days Challenge
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