Daniel 10:13
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
Have you ever wondered why God does not always answer your prayers immediately ?
Have you ever prayed only to feel that your prayer ascended no higher than the ceiling ?
Although we sincerely seek God for answers to our prayers, there are powerful Satanic forces working in opposition to God.
At times, these forces prevent immediate answers.
Good and evil angels wage war in the supernatural battle of light and darkness.
WHAT PRAYER DOES ?
》Prayer unleashes God’s power so that He is able to work on our behalf in new ways.
》 Prayer opens new doors of opportunity for God to move.
》Since He respects our freedom of choice, prayer enables Him to step into our lives.
》Prayer gives God the permission to do what He was longing to do all the time.
GOD IS WORKING ON YOUR PRAYER
》Even when we do not see anything significant occurring, God is still at work to solve the problem.
》When there are apparently no answers, God is still working out a solution.
DANIEL EXPERIENCE.
Daniel’s experience is “Exhibit A” of a God who is listening.
His silence indicates only that He is already at work to solve the problem. When we kneel before His throne, without a doubt, He is listening.
As chapter 10 opens, what brought Daniel deep concern and serious perplexity? Daniel 10:1.
Answer: A message that was revealed to him.
Daniel was deeply concerned because his people were still in captivity.
The prophecy of the Jews’ seventy-year captivity was coming to a close.
Daniel was perplexed. When would his people be set free?
2. What did Daniel do for three full weeks? Daniel 10:3, 4.
Answer: He did not eat any pleasant food or meat, and did not drink any wine.
When were Daniel’s prayers heard? Daniel 10:12.
Answer: The first day he began to pray.
7. If God heard Daniel’s prayers the first day he prayed, why was there no apparent answer? Daniel 10:13.
Answer: The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood Gabriel.
8. Who are the “prince of this world” and the “prince of the power of the air”? John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2, 3.
Answer: Satan
When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26).
In the Fall, they lost this dominion. Adam was no longer earth’s prince, and Eve was no longer a princess.
They became servants, or slaves, of the one they had obeyed (Romans 6:16).
Satan usurped their position. He now became the “prince of this world.”
Any demon incharge of any territory is called PRINCE .
Daniel prayed that God would impress the mind of Cyrus to free the captive Israelites.
》The “prince of Persia,” Demon in charge of that territory, imprisoned Cyrus’ mind in darkness.
》As Daniel prayed, good and evil angels battled for control of the king’s mind for twenty-one days.
》There are similar battles being waged for the minds of men and women today.
》The “prince of the Persian kingdom” cannot be a man because no man can hinder an angel sent by God.
Then Michael (who is an archangel assigned to guard Israel, see Daniel 12:1) intervenes and the angel is able to complete his mission.
In This Present Darkness , our prayers somehow give strength to weary angels to aid them in their combat.
All we can say for certain is that there is a connection between our prayers and the spirit realm.
That’s what the “wrestling” of Ephesians 6:12 is all about.
We wrestle through prayer and obedience to God and putting on the armor of God.
I. THERE IS A SPIRITUAL CONFLICT RAGING IN THE UNIVERSE AROUND US.
A. It is a war against good and evil.
1. The prize is the control of the minds of men.
2. you are thrust into the battle,whether you like it or not.
3. Your life will be controlled either by good or evil.
4. We sometimes refer to this as the battle between the flesh and the spirit, but in reality it is a battle against spirit and spirit.
The spirit of darkness and the spirit of light.
B. Satan was at one time an angel of God.
Angels are spirits, thus Satan is a spirit.
1. When Satan rebelled against God, one third of the angels followed him, and they comprised a powerful spiritual force in the world.
2. Their goal is to conscript you in the rebellion against God.
3. They will stop at nothing in order to destroy you.
4. They have a very strong beach head in your life, and that is your flesh.
5. The goal is to get you to live after the flesh, a lustful, selfish life.
6. Those persons who they have conscripted in the battle, will stop at nothing to sway men into their camp.
C. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness, in high places.
1. For the most part, nations are controlled by these diabolical forces.
a. The banning of prayer, or anything that has to do with the Bible or Jesus Christ from the public school.
2. This is what Paul was referring to as spiritual wickedness in high places.
II. OUR WEAPONS AGAINST THESE AWESOME POWERS.
A. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of the strongholds of the enemy. II Cor. 10:4
1. One of the most powerful weapons that God has placed in our arsenal is prayer.
a. This is a spiritual weapon that allows us to become engaged in this spiritual warfare.
2. The reason you find prayer so difficult is that Satan will do everything to keep you from prayer.
a. When you get down to pray, you will suddenly remember a thousand urgent things that you were supposed to do.
b. Or the phone or doorbell will ring.
c. The baby who is supposed to be napping begins to cry.
d. Satan realizes that prayer is a deciding factor in the spiritual battle, it is the weapon by which he is defeated, thus he will fight hard to disarm you.
e. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
f. I think of how many things have been developed to take us from prayer.
If we would spend as much time in prayer as we take watching T.V. for instance, how much more we could see for good in this world.
The forces that are against you are strong and sinister. They are in control of this present evil world.
1. The only way you can possibly hope to stand against them is in the Spirit, and the power of His might.
2. Carnal weapons are useless in this battle.
3. All of your count ten, or ten steps methods will ever avail to bring you lasting victory in this battle.
4. You must arm yourself with all the spiritual armor available.
a. Your strength is in the Lord, and the power of His might.
b. Your spiritual armor is righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the word of God.
5. Then what? “Praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, continuing with perseverance.
F. The real fighting comes on your knees, and that is where the true victory will be found.
