Unanswered Prayers
Unanswered Prayers are one of the things that plague the minds of most Christians. At one point or another, I have heard people say something on the order of, “I’ve been praying and praying and I still don’t have an answer yet.” The thing is, we can be praying for any number of things, healing, intercession, understanding, direction, wisdom…the list is long. The problem is, sometimes the response is not what we are expecting.
We’ve all heard stories of how people have prayed and gotten great responses. But what about when prayer seems to have gone unanswered? Well, today, we are going to tackle this subject. Daniel 10:1-14 is what we are going to read from today. If you would, read along with me.
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war.[a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. 10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
We can learn quite a bit from Daniel’s situation. Daniel has had a revelation which troubled him quite a bit. He has prayed for an answer and understanding to God, and in the mean time, he is fasting.
Interesting little side note from our recent study, prayer and fasting go together. Both are for the purpose of communing with God. So, Daniel has gone on what we call a partial fast. He is eating vegetables and water, no meat, no delicacies or wine.
Twenty-one days had passed before he got an answer to his prayer. Not only did Daniel get an answer, but he got it from an angel of the Lord. Speculation says that perhaps it was Gabriel, who had brought an earlier message. Nonetheless, it was an angel. What we are focusing on today is not the response for which Daniel was waiting for, but the explanation of why the answer from the Lord was delayed.
The angel proceeded to explain to Daniel in verse 12 that Daniels prayer was heard exactly when it was prayed. However, there was a prince of the Persian kingdom who was delaying him. Now, this wasn’t a literal human prince, but an evil spirit that was warring against the angel bringing Daniel a message from God. Just like we talked about last week, spiritual warfare is prominent. The devil and his minions do everything they can to hinder work and prayers and they war against the forces of God.
Some suggest that like God sends angels to surround believers with hedges of protection, the devil sends minions out to hinder people, nations, and groups. Keep in mind that the devil does not have the ability to be everywhere at once, knowing everything. So, the devil and his minions have to work hard to set traps and dispatching forces to battle things.
So what happened was that there was a great battle between the ‘prince of Persia’ and Michael so the angel could get away and deliver his message to Daniel.
The spiritual battles that rage do so unbeknownst to us. The realm in which these things take place, do so where we cannot see with our human eyes. Rest assured, when we do not receive an answer to prayer, the reality is that there is a battle raging somewhere.
Like Daniel, we could be spending lots of time devoting ourselves to God…to seeking his face and understanding a situation. However, also like Daniel, our answer could very well be delayed.
Nowadays, we rarely hear of a person receiving an answer to a prayer by seeing an angel who is delivering a message. So, if we don’t receive answers like this, then how can messages get delayed?
Well, simple. The answer to a prayer could come in the form of aid from an angel. It could come in the form of protection, a specified path for us to follow, or perhaps the angel took a human form. If they did take human form, we would never know the difference. Angels do their work all for God’s glory. We literally would never know the difference.
When we concern ourselves overly with an answer to a prayer, we’re focusing on the wrong thing. In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus outlines prayer. We shouldn’t be praying in huge crowds for show. It’s not that they are praying with them, they are just out there praying so that people can do the whole, “oooh, aaaaah” thing. Instead, it should be done in private, not for show. There isn’t anything wrong with corporate prayer, such as in worship service or before a ballgame, we just need to check the motives first.
Another thing that Christ advises is that we do not babble on. The root meaning of this is being repetitive or windy. We’re praying to God, He knows what we want and need before we ask. We do not need to repeat ourselves or go into great detail. Father God just wants us to seek Him out.
From the Sunday School Times comes this story, “In the charming little booklet, “Expectation Corner,” Adam Slowman was led into the Lord’s treasure houses, and among other wonders there revealed to him was the “Delayed Blessings Office,” where God kept certain things prayed for until the time came to send them. It takes a long time for some petitioners to learn that delays are not denials. Ah, there are secrets of love and wisdom in the “Delayed Blessings Department” which are little dreamed of. Men would pluck their mercies green when the Lord would have them ripe. “Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you.”
God’s plans like lilies pure and white, unfold;
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart;
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.”
Whether or not we receive an answer to our prayers, there is an answer. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is not right now, and sometimes, the answer is even no. But now, we understand that sometimes the answers are delayed by the sheer force of spiritual battles raging on.
Other times, we are called upon to pray from the beckoning of the Holy Spirit for something we’re not sure which we’re praying about.
The Christian Observer printed the following story.
One Sunday night in April 1912, an American woman was very weary, yet could not sleep because of an oppression of fear. At last she felt a burden of prayer, and with tremendous earnestness began to pray for her husband then in mid-Atlantic, homeward-bound on the Titanic. As the hours went by she could get no assurance, and kept on praying in an agony, until about five o’clock in the morning when a great peace possessed her, and she slept.
Meanwhile her husband, Colonel Gracie, was among the doomed hundreds who were trying frantically to launch the lifeboats from the great ship whose vitals had been torn out by an iceberg. He had given up all hope of being saved himself, and was doing his best to help the women and children. He wished that he could get a last message through to his wife, and cried from his heart, “Good-by, my darling.” Then as the ship plunged to her watery grave, he was sucked down in the giant whirlpool. Instinctively he began to swim under water, ice-cold as it was, crying in his heart.
Suddenly he came to the surface and found himself near an overturned lifeboat. Along with several others he climbed aboard, and was picked up by another lifeboat, about five in the morning, the very time that peace came to his praying wife! Supplication! The prayer that will not take No for an answer, that storms the battlements of Heaven, and brings confusion and defeat to all the powers of hell, even death itself!
So whether or not we’re praying for something we have no idea about or wondering about a prayer that we think is unanswered, rest assured that the prayer is not unanswered, perhaps delayed by spiritual warfare, but the prayer has been heard.
We should be comforted by the fact that God hears our every prayer, even though we may not get the answer or the timing we want. Basically put, there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Every prayer and request is heard and in God’s time, we will hear our answer.
We’ve all heard stories of how people have prayed and gotten great responses. But what about when prayer seems to have gone unanswered? Well, today, we are going to tackle this subject. Daniel 10:1-14 is what we are going to read from today. If you would, read along with me.
1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war.[a] The understanding of the message came to him in a vision. 2 At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. 3 I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, 5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. 9 Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground. 10 A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he continued, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 14 Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.”
We can learn quite a bit from Daniel’s situation. Daniel has had a revelation which troubled him quite a bit. He has prayed for an answer and understanding to God, and in the mean time, he is fasting.
Interesting little side note from our recent study, prayer and fasting go together. Both are for the purpose of communing with God. So, Daniel has gone on what we call a partial fast. He is eating vegetables and water, no meat, no delicacies or wine.
Twenty-one days had passed before he got an answer to his prayer. Not only did Daniel get an answer, but he got it from an angel of the Lord. Speculation says that perhaps it was Gabriel, who had brought an earlier message. Nonetheless, it was an angel. What we are focusing on today is not the response for which Daniel was waiting for, but the explanation of why the answer from the Lord was delayed.
The angel proceeded to explain to Daniel in verse 12 that Daniels prayer was heard exactly when it was prayed. However, there was a prince of the Persian kingdom who was delaying him. Now, this wasn’t a literal human prince, but an evil spirit that was warring against the angel bringing Daniel a message from God. Just like we talked about last week, spiritual warfare is prominent. The devil and his minions do everything they can to hinder work and prayers and they war against the forces of God.
Some suggest that like God sends angels to surround believers with hedges of protection, the devil sends minions out to hinder people, nations, and groups. Keep in mind that the devil does not have the ability to be everywhere at once, knowing everything. So, the devil and his minions have to work hard to set traps and dispatching forces to battle things.
So what happened was that there was a great battle between the ‘prince of Persia’ and Michael so the angel could get away and deliver his message to Daniel.
The spiritual battles that rage do so unbeknownst to us. The realm in which these things take place, do so where we cannot see with our human eyes. Rest assured, when we do not receive an answer to prayer, the reality is that there is a battle raging somewhere.
Like Daniel, we could be spending lots of time devoting ourselves to God…to seeking his face and understanding a situation. However, also like Daniel, our answer could very well be delayed.
Nowadays, we rarely hear of a person receiving an answer to a prayer by seeing an angel who is delivering a message. So, if we don’t receive answers like this, then how can messages get delayed?
Well, simple. The answer to a prayer could come in the form of aid from an angel. It could come in the form of protection, a specified path for us to follow, or perhaps the angel took a human form. If they did take human form, we would never know the difference. Angels do their work all for God’s glory. We literally would never know the difference.
When we concern ourselves overly with an answer to a prayer, we’re focusing on the wrong thing. In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus outlines prayer. We shouldn’t be praying in huge crowds for show. It’s not that they are praying with them, they are just out there praying so that people can do the whole, “oooh, aaaaah” thing. Instead, it should be done in private, not for show. There isn’t anything wrong with corporate prayer, such as in worship service or before a ballgame, we just need to check the motives first.
Another thing that Christ advises is that we do not babble on. The root meaning of this is being repetitive or windy. We’re praying to God, He knows what we want and need before we ask. We do not need to repeat ourselves or go into great detail. Father God just wants us to seek Him out.
From the Sunday School Times comes this story, “In the charming little booklet, “Expectation Corner,” Adam Slowman was led into the Lord’s treasure houses, and among other wonders there revealed to him was the “Delayed Blessings Office,” where God kept certain things prayed for until the time came to send them. It takes a long time for some petitioners to learn that delays are not denials. Ah, there are secrets of love and wisdom in the “Delayed Blessings Department” which are little dreamed of. Men would pluck their mercies green when the Lord would have them ripe. “Therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you.”
God’s plans like lilies pure and white, unfold;
We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart;
Time will reveal the calyxes of gold.”
Whether or not we receive an answer to our prayers, there is an answer. Sometimes the answer is yes. Sometimes the answer is not right now, and sometimes, the answer is even no. But now, we understand that sometimes the answers are delayed by the sheer force of spiritual battles raging on.
Other times, we are called upon to pray from the beckoning of the Holy Spirit for something we’re not sure which we’re praying about.
The Christian Observer printed the following story.
One Sunday night in April 1912, an American woman was very weary, yet could not sleep because of an oppression of fear. At last she felt a burden of prayer, and with tremendous earnestness began to pray for her husband then in mid-Atlantic, homeward-bound on the Titanic. As the hours went by she could get no assurance, and kept on praying in an agony, until about five o’clock in the morning when a great peace possessed her, and she slept.
Meanwhile her husband, Colonel Gracie, was among the doomed hundreds who were trying frantically to launch the lifeboats from the great ship whose vitals had been torn out by an iceberg. He had given up all hope of being saved himself, and was doing his best to help the women and children. He wished that he could get a last message through to his wife, and cried from his heart, “Good-by, my darling.” Then as the ship plunged to her watery grave, he was sucked down in the giant whirlpool. Instinctively he began to swim under water, ice-cold as it was, crying in his heart.
Suddenly he came to the surface and found himself near an overturned lifeboat. Along with several others he climbed aboard, and was picked up by another lifeboat, about five in the morning, the very time that peace came to his praying wife! Supplication! The prayer that will not take No for an answer, that storms the battlements of Heaven, and brings confusion and defeat to all the powers of hell, even death itself!
So whether or not we’re praying for something we have no idea about or wondering about a prayer that we think is unanswered, rest assured that the prayer is not unanswered, perhaps delayed by spiritual warfare, but the prayer has been heard.
We should be comforted by the fact that God hears our every prayer, even though we may not get the answer or the timing we want. Basically put, there is no such thing as an unanswered prayer. Every prayer and request is heard and in God’s time, we will hear our answer.
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