One of the questions that most Christians ask is, ” Why is it that I believe God, I pray, I walk in faith but it seems that the answer to my prayers are being delayed and why don’t I receive the things that I am strongly believing God for?”
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
Whenever we operate, we are dealing with things. Things we hope for and things we don’t see. When you pray, you are talking about things you hope for and things you don’t see
You are believing God for a Child, it’s something you don’t see. You are believing God for a house, it’s something you don’t see. You are believing God for healing, it’s some thing you don’t see although you don’t see it, you hope for it. You expect it!
When you are dealing with something you are hoping for and something you don’t see, it is not real.
The bible says because the things we hope for and the things we are expecting are not real.
God has given us something to hold on to-He has given us substance and evidence.
So, whenever I hope for something and expect something, I must hold on to something now and that thing I must hold on to is what the bible calls, FAITH.
Faith is what you hold on to when you you are hoping for something and you are believing God for something.
So many times we hold on to faith and still we don’t see the miracles.
Daniel 10:1-6;
“In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel who was called Belteshazzar. The message was true but the appointed time was long and he understood the message and had understanding of the vision. In those days, Daniel fasted fort three weeks, he didn’t eat any pleasant food.”
Note that Cyrus, prince of Persia was a real physical human being and when he was king, Daniel believed God and fasted for something from God.
The king of Persia physically was Cyrus but when you go to verse 10-14 of the same Daniel 10, it says,
“Suddenly a hand touched me which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands, he said to me, “Oh Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the word I speak unto you and stand up for I have now been sent to you.” This person is an Angel telling Daniel, now your prayer is being answered.”
The question is, “Why has it taken a long time for the prayer to be answered?”
Verse 12-13, the Angel is telling Daniel why his prayers was being delayed.
It says, “then he said to him, “do not fear Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before God, your words were heard and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me for I have been left alone there with the kings of Persia.”
Looking at this passage, there are two entities the bible talks about; the prince of Persia, Cyrus and the princes of Persia.
The prince of Persia that the Angel talks about is not a physical human being, it’s a spiritual being. So above the physical Persia, there is a spiritual Persia.
So as Daniel is praying, God hears him and God sends an Angel to give Daniel the answer but as the Angel is bringing the answer there is spiritual warfare in the heavenlies.
The Prince of Persia, demonic forces fights the Angel bringing the answer, then delays the process.
But Daniel did not know that this spiritual warfare was going on and that it was delaying his prayer, all he was doing was trusting God on earth and God fighting for him in the heavenlies.
So the reason why Daniel’s prayer was delayed for 21 days is not lack of faith, lack of promise from God (because the word is true) but it is because of spiritual warfare.