Delays and Persistence

Daniel had sought God to help him understand a vision. He had every reason to expect an answer. He had served God and faithfully witnessed in the face of strong opposition. He had been a man of prayer and had good motives and a clean heart. Yet he did not receive an answer!

Day after day, he must have wondered why. Had he displeased God? Were his prayers being blocked by sin?

Eventually Daniel did receive an answer. And the real reason must have surprised him: The messenger had been delayed because of spiritual opposition. In fact, his prayers had been heard, and the answer was on the way. Daniel simply had not yet received it. Finally, 21 days after he prayed, the answer arrived. But that answer only reached Daniel because of supernatural intervention by the archangel Michael.

We need to realize that we, too, are involved in spiritual warfare. The devil is our enemy. He and his demons are thieves, seeking to steal, rob, destroy, and disrupt our lives. We should not assume that every delay is the result of demonic opposition, but still we must recognize the impact this opposition can have on our lives.

What happens if you don’t seem to receive an answer to your prayers? First, be persistent in prayer and don’t give up (Luke 18). Knock, and keep knocking (Matthew 7:7). Keep your life pure from sin (Psalm 24:3). Remain armed with the “whole armor of God” so you can “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). And fill your life with praise and worship.

Then, trust God that He hears your prayers and will answer, even if you experience delays.