Daniel 10:12–13: “Then he said to me, ‘Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.'”

October 21st, 2021 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This chapter teaches us several interesting things about prayer, and also gives us some insight into why it sometimes seems that the answers to our prayers are delayed. Daniel had been mourning, fasting, and praying for 3 weeks before an angel appeared to him. The angel told him that God had heard his prayers on the very first day he began to pray and fast. So the first thing we see here is that God hears our prayers immediately. The angel encouraged Daniel when he said, “your words were heard.” Second, we see that God was attentive to Daniel’s prayer and answered it immediately by sending the angle. Third, though the answer was sent right away, there was a delay in the spiritual realm. Fourth, in spite of spiritual opposition, the answer to Daniel’s prayer still arrived on time. Although we may often feel like God’s timing is delayed, there is no such thing as His answer coming too late to accomplish what He wants it to accomplish. God never lacks the power to do His will.

In Scripture, God is never pictured as being in a hurry, with the important exception of the picture of the father in the Prodigal Son story. It is there that Jesus reveals to us a deep insight into Father God’s heart. In that story, we see the father running toward his son while he was still a long way off (Luke 15:20). Perhaps he ran because he knew that if someone else were to meet his son first, they might humiliate him or send him away because he had publicly shamed the family. Many have said that no matter how many steps we take away from God, it only takes one step back, and then He comes running to forgive us and receive us back into fellowship.

“LORD, we lift to You those family members and friends that are currently far from You and ask that You send messengers to them to bring them to You.”