5 Principles of Prayer

Interest in the occult and paranormal phenomena is on the rise today. The movie industry has capitalized on this heightened curiosity. The Bible’s teaching on this subject stands in stark contrast to the misinformation that’s commonly consumed. Daniel 10 exposes the unseen war being waged against God’s people by demonic forces. We need a Biblical perspective on the invisible war being fought in between heaven and earth.

The events in Daniel 10 took place in the 3rd year of Cyrus King of Persia. While serving Cyrus, Daniel received a message that foretold of great conflict involving the Jews and the nation Israel. Standing on the banks of the Tigris River, Daniel saw a vision of an angel who spoke to him.

5 PRINCIPLES OF PRAYER

1. Christians’ prayers are immediately heard by the Lord

Like Daniel, we have immediate access to the Lord through prayer. However, we will not always get quick answers.

2. Demons can delay answers to prayer

The angel was dispatched immediately to answer Daniel’s prayer but was kept from fulfilling his mission for 3 weeks because of the opposition he received from the Prince of Persia. This is a fallen angel.

Satan seeks to acquire dominance by assigning demonic agents to various parts of the world in an attempt to thwart the work of Jesus. While it’s true that satanic resistance does occasionally hinder the Lord’s work, it does not indicate that God’s power and sovereignty are less than ultimate. Daniel had been unaware of the spiritual conflict but as v. 13 shows the battle was won because Michael had greater power than either the good or wicked angel.

This is an eye-opening look into the invisible war being fought all around us.

3. Laboring in prayer is tough and tiring work

We see in v. 14-15 that after being told by the angelic messenger that the future of the Jews was about to be unveiled, Daniel turned his face to the ground and was speechless. Daniel engaged in spiritual warfare on his knees and, in doing so, had advanced God’s cause on Earth.

The spiritual battle believers wage can sometimes take a physical toll on them. However, a little fatigue is a small price to pay for curbing evil and furthering good.

4. There is supernatural strength after laborious prayer

The text shows that the same angel who helped Daniel speak also gave him strength to see the vision that was about to be revealed. Hebrews tells us that angels are ministering spirits who are sent by God to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation.

Today, the Lord still uses heavenly ministers to encourage us in our walk with Him and to protect us in our fight against satanic powers.

5. Overcoming demonic forces is not a one and done kind of thing

The angel added that Michael could give Daniel support in his battle against demonic forces. The conflict between the Lord and Satan is still being fought today. Christ’s death on the cross has ensured Satan’s defeat, but it has not yet ended the war.

APPLYING THE WORD

• If you could see into the spiritual realm, you would be amazed at the presence of good and evil all around you. And your faith would grow and your fear and worry would dissipate.
• Even when you can’t see the invisible, you should be encouraged by the strength of the Lord. Your God is completely sovereign.
• Learning the art of silence and solitude before the Lord.

I love the illustration by Robby Gallaty of a glass jar with river water. It’s murky and unclear but as it swirls in the jar, it slowly settles. If you go back after some time of stillness, the water is perfectly clear and the sediment is at the bottom.

Most of us are so hurried in this life that our spiritual lives are like that murky water, filled with distractions. We are never still enough to get clarity. We need to spend time in silence and solitude.