Help Is On the Way

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. Daniel 10:12-13 (NLT/emphasis mine)

I have often heard it taught that God answers prayers with a yes, no, or not yet. But what if there is a fourth possibility? What if we could perceive what is happening beyond our limited, self-centered view of prayer and see the battles happening in the heavenlies?

What if we grasped the truth that our prayers – those uttered with the intent of advancing the kingdom of heaven – might feasibly spawn a battle between the powers of light and darkness.

There is nothing the devil wants more than to stop the advancement of God’s kingdom. He sends his minions—fallen angels —to do his bidding. Sometimes the battle is brief, sometimes it lasts twenty-one days or longer.

The one certainty we must cling to is that God always hears our prayers, even before we voice them. That truth is never in question. But sometimes the answers to our prayers are not immediate, not because God is testing our faith or wants us to learn to trust, but because there is more going on ‘behind the scenes.’

Battles are being waged beyond our feeble human sight.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Are you still lingering in prayer, waiting for an answer?

Don’t give up hope.

God is still on the throne, and His good purpose will always prevail.

So just hold on.

He hears your plea.

Help is on the way.

Prayer: Lord, anchor me in the truth that you incline your ear when I pray and you know every word that is on my mind, even before it is on my tongue. And when the waiting seems long, help me to wait patiently. Amen.

Thought: Spiritual hope hangs on amid trials, resting in God’s promise that one day the purpose of all of our joys and struggles will be revealed and we will experience that ultimate “aha!” moment.