Don't Be Afraid. . .

"Don't be afraid. . . Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia." Daniel 10: 12-13

How often do we consider what's behind an unanswered prayer?

How often do we stop to reflect on the battle being waged on behalf of us by God and the angels of the Lord?

I don't honestly think we do - often.

We can draw all sorts of conclusions for why we experience unanswered prayers. I invite you to consider that many of the perceived unanswered prayers are not going to remain unanswered - rather our petitions, intercessions - the desires of our hearts are being fought for by God and His angels.

Just imagine Daniel lifting up his prayers to God and behind the scenes, God immediately hears him and no sooner as the prayer is even prayed, God commands the heavenly armies into battle for His servants.

Spiritual warfare is discounted by Christians across all sorts of traditions and persuasions. I confess that much has been said and done to "discredit" the notion that there is a darkness that is present, intent on deceiving and ultimate annihilation of God's purpose and people. I believe the darkness is real. It is here to achieve the ends for which it gave up any and all hope of everlasting communion and restoration with God.

The enemy has NOTHING to lose.

God knows this. He is here to protect us, fight for us and save us from the onslaught of the darkness. But do we know this? Do we pray with the genuine sense that what we pray for and to who we pray to and to what we pray into is real? God is real beyond our wildest imagination and most sophisticated intellectualizing. We pray into another realm. We just say "Lord" or "Almighty God" - anything that calls, praises and honors God and we're transported into the presence of God and transported before the throne of God.

In the midst of our turmoil and tribulation - God is waging war against the darkness. He is sending His agents, messengers and celestial warriors to invade and defeat the evil one and his legions. Daniel was told that for 21 days the battle with the prince of Persia waged on - on his behalf. The delay wasn't at all about God's silence.

I'm not suggesting that all unanswered prayer is due to battles in realms beyond our capacity to imagine. But I believe many are. I believe that if we pray considering the reality of the dimensions of war between the angels of the Lord and the legions of demons, we'll achieve a greater awareness of Paul's message to us all concerning Spiritual Warfare -

"Finally, be strong in the LORD and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

Are we ready to put on the armor of the Lord? Are we ready to pray as intercessors and as warriors? As God broke into human history through Jesus Christ - are we ready and willing to pray into the realms of light and darkness? For 21 days the battle raged on Daniel's behalf. Perhaps your battle will take on one year, perhaps it will take less . . . or more . . . I don't know. Those that stormed the beaches of Normandy back in June 1944, didn't know World War II would be over by April 1945 in Europe and August 1945 in the Pacific. The Allied forces invaded Nazi occupied Europe with all their strength, power, minds, weapons - but above all - with hope. Hope in what they couldn't see, but believed would come - and it did. In the fullness of time.