A Behind-the-Scenes Look
“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. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”—Daniel 10:12–14
Our culture gravitates toward behind-the-scenes events. We become excited when we’re driving down the street and see movie cameras set up for a big scene. We love that inside look to which no one else has access.
Fascinating events also transpire behind the scenes of the supernatural realm: the world in which angels and demons dwell.
Consider this: when we pray, a spiritual battle often takes place. I especially believe this occurs when we pray for the salvation of the lost.
Many times the reason God may not immediately answer our prayers is because of behind-the-scenes spiritual warfare.
Take Daniel for instance. He had been praying for weeks with no answer from the Lord (see Daniel 10). Little did Daniel know, God heard his prayers and dispatched an angel with a special answer to his prayers.
However, somewhere between heaven and earth, between the visible and the invisible, this angel found himself waged in a battle with another evil angel. After 21 days of spiritual warfare, God sent Michael, the archangel, to save the other angel.
Just as a battle raged over God’s answer to Daniel’s prayers, a spiritual battle often rages due to your prayers. This is why we need to keep praying, even if we go days, weeks, or even months without receiving an answer.
Jesus said, “ ‘And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks” (Luke 11:9-10).
Prayer is a continuous, ongoing process. We must never stop praying, for God’s delays are not necessarily His denials.
Copyright © 2016 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
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