Hindrances To Answered Prayers

 DIVINE LIFE DAILY DEVOTIONAL*

*BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:* Job 15, Job 16, Job 17, Acts 2, Acts 3

TOPIC: *HINDRANCES TO ANSWERED PRAYERS*

 SCRIPTURE:* Daniel 10:7-13

*MEMORY VERSE:*

*Jeremiah 33:3 -*

"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES:

*God's attention is drawn to you as you kneel down to honour Him with your request.*

 

PROPHETIC WORD FOR TODAY:

MAY THE GOOD LORD OF HEAVEN BE YOUR BATTLE AXE TO WASTE YOUR ENEMIES, IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

*The MESSAGE:*

Today, we are looking at hindrances to answered prayers. While Daniel was fasting and praying, an intense battle was raging in the spiritual realm. The prince of the kingdom of Persia temporarily withstood Daniel from receiving God's message from the angel. Because of this conflict, he had to wait twenty-one days for the revelation. This Persian prince was not a human ruler, but a demon from satan's kingdom. He was defeated only when Michael, Israel's prince, came to help the angel.

Dearly beloved, evil forces in the spiritual realm can hinder answers to prayers like the one we read in today's  scripture. Paul says in the book of Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The devil is so powerful that he can deceive, cause problems and sicknesses and block prayers from getting answers - like the case of Daniel who kept at it for twenty-one days (2 Corinthians 4:4; Job 2:7). The devil can also hinder the righteous. Zechariah 3:1 says, "And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him."

Dear reader, there are many things we do that also help the devil to hinder our prayers. At times, we exercise doubt, unbelief and utter negative words after hot prayer sessions. We easily give up when it seems like the answer is not coming the way we expect it. But Daniel did not give up and God sent reinforcement to help him. What happened here to Daniel is just a glimpse of the unseen battles going on in the spiritual realm. These conflicts affect the course of nations and individual lives, but they do not have ultimate control over people's choices. God's people can be victorious over evil spiritual forces by applying God's word and through prayer.

Apostle A. LEE