Prayer Battle

'Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.
'But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for 21 days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.' Daniel 10.12, 13.

We have wonderful teaching here on prayer, and we are shown the direct hindrance from Satan.

Daniel had fasted and prayed 21 days, and he had a very hard time in prayer. The difficulty arose because of the special attack of Satan, who had sent the prince of Persia to resist the angelic messenger sent to Daniel from God.

The messenger had been dispatched the moment Daniel began to prayer, but an evil angel met the good angel and wrestled with him, hindering him and holding him up. There was a conflict in the heavens, and Daniel seemed to go through a battle on earth the same as was going on in the heavenlies.

‘We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers….against wicked spirits in high places.’ Eph 6.12

Satan delayed the answer for 3 full weeks. Daniel nearly gave up, he nearly succumbed. Satan would have gladly destroyed him, but for the hedge that God put around him. God will not suffering anything to come to us that is more than we can bear.

Many a Christian prayer is hindered by Satan. But you need not fear when your prayers pile up, for after a while they will become like a flood and will not only sweep the answer through, but will bring new blessings.

Hell does it worst with the saints. The rarest souls have been tested with high pressure and tensions, but Heaven will not desert them. ‘He will not fail you, nor forsake you’

[Extracted from May 16, Streams in the Desert, a book of daily devotionals by Mrs Charles Cowman.]