Finding Faith to Wait for the Answer

"Then he continued, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain in 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'" Daniel 10:12-13

We all have waited anxiously for many things to arrive or special days to come, or for something to happen with no sign of it ever becoming real. When it come to prayer, most of us will have times when we wonder whether the answer to our request has been lost. Did God hear us at all, and is He planning to respond?

The book of Daniel cotains one of the most encouraging yet sobering conversations recorded in the Bible when it comes to receiving an answer to prayer. Daniel had been faithfully fasting and praying for weeks without seeing any response. After 21 days he had a vision of an angelic being who appeared to him and told him the reason for the delay: A spiritual battle was being waged in the heavens.When Daniel persisted in prayer, help was sent and finally reached Daniel with a word from God. God cared so much for Daniel that in the despite the "bigger" picture at stake (spiritual battle) he sent a messanger to Daniel because of Daniel's faithfulness.

What an encouragement this is for us! God has promised to hear our prayers when we come to Him in faith, but we need to remember that Satan may throw obstacles in the way of our receiving the answers God has sent. What aare we to do? Continue to pray! The prayers of a righteous man or woman are powerful and effective. (James 5:16) Don't give up when the answer doesn't come right away. God hears and will answer. We have His Word on it!

"Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." Daniel 10:18