In January 1944, the US army created the ghost army. Their purpose was to trick the forces of Nazi Germany about the size and location of the allied forces. The ghost army would inflate rubber tanks, jeeps, trucks, and all other kinds of armaments and camouflage them so well that Nazi air patrols would be fooled. They would even broadcast military sounds on loudspeakers.
We can learn from this example. God strengthens us for battle, but if we aren't aware of and preparing for the right battle, we will find ourselves unarmed. Today, I'll be using Daniel 10 to give us some insight on preparing for a battle that we cannot see. Prayer
As we have examined the life of Daniel, we have seen that he lived a life of faithfulness, and he had seen and experienced incredible things. Now as an old man only a few years from his death, there was even more for him to experience. The first group of exiles had now returned to Jerusalem, proving that God was making good on his promises. Meanwhile, as a result of his prayers, Daniel received a vision about a great conflict that was going on. We need to be aware of this conflict.
Daniel 10:1–3 – “In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. The message was true and was about a great conflict. He understood the message and had understanding of the vision.
2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three full weeks. 3 I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over.”
So, Daniel receives a heavenly message about this great conflict that's going on and the news was distressing to him. So, for 3 weeks (significant) he mourned, fasted, and prayed. Daniel knew the right thing to do whenever he encountered things that were bigger than himself. He took his concerns to the Lord. Like Daniel, prayer ought to be our first recourse during our times of trouble. Daniel mentions that he fasted and prayed. Let's talk about fasting for a moment.
Fasting is often described in the Bible as an action taken in times of trouble and always is accompanied with prayer. Fasting is not a popular subject with Baptists. We like to eat. But there's something crucial that we can learn from this. When we fast from food, it means we are intentionally depriving ourselves of the basic nourishment that our bodies are built to crave. We choose not to eat, but we don't stop there. Fasting means taking up something as well as putting something down. As we deny ourselves, we choose to feast on God's word and prayer. So how does fasting bring us to a more focused and intense experience in prayer?
Why should we fast? Because fasting encourages regular prayer. It's easy to get so busy that we forget to pray. But if we commit to pray every time we're hungry, we have a constant reminder to talk to God. Fasting reminds us of what's truly nourishing. We rely on food for the strength and energy we need. When we stop eating, we intentionally put ourselves in a position to rely on something else. We remind ourselves that Jesus is the true Bread of Life and Living Water.
Fasting, in its own way, exposes our hearts. Being hungry has all kinds of effects. Our stomachs growl, we get headaches, and, of course, we get grumpy. I used to deer hunt on a lease with my Uncle John. Uncle John would never eat before he went out on a hunt. He said that you will be more attuned to the hunt if you're hungry. When we're hungry, all of our emotions and feelings are heightened, and as they come out, we see what's really been in our hearts. Fasting gives us the opportunity to confess the things we've kept buried.
And one more thing. Fasting demonstrates how committed we are. Many times we claim to want wisdom, direction, and intervention from the Lord. We might fool ourselves into believing we want these things more than we actually do. Fasting helps us face the truth. When we fast, we're validating our true need for God's intervention.
If you're struggling over an issue in your life right now, maybe it's time for you to go into a period of fasting and prayer. Try it for 24 hours. Ask the Lord for guidance first. Then feast on Him instead of food and wait and watch for His response. Fast from food. Feast on God.
Daniel 10:10-11 – “Suddenly, a hand touched me and set me shaking on my hands and knees. 11 He said to me, “Daniel, you are a man treasured by God. Understand the words that I’m saying to you. Stand on your feet, for I have now been sent to you.” After he said this to me, I stood trembling.”
Daniel was so humbled that he laid face down and shook. But the angel sent to meet him encouraged him. He told Daniel that he was a man treasured by God. What a wonderful thing to hear - that the God of the universe would treasure a human being. And yet those words are true not just for Daniel, but for every believer. Do you realize that God treasures you? Paul said it this way:
Ephesians 1:14 – “The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.”
Think deeply with me. Paul talked about the Holy Spirit as earnest money. The earnest money isn't the full amount, but it's the amount of money you have to forfeit if you back out of the deal. To Paul, the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence is a deposit given to us by God that assures us that He will carry us on to completion, and then we will receive our whole inheritance. So, what is that inheritance? It is heaven, but it is mainly God himself. It's knowing God fully and completely. Paul uses that word inheritance again in:
Ephesians 1:18 – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”
This time the word inheritance isn't talking about God or heaven; it's talking about us. We are the inheritance. Who is inheriting us? Who is waiting for us? Who considers us a treasure? It's God. We are God's inheritance. It's almost unreal to think about what Jesus did for us on the cross, that He bought something for us, but he also bought something for God. Jesus secured both our inheritances, and now God waits in expectation to fully inherit His.
Here's a thought. If you're feeling discouraged about something, remember that if you're God's child, you're also His treasure. That should encourage you. When it does, be ready to share it with someone else who might need encouraging. Now let's talk about this battle that we do not see. Again, let’s think deeply.
Daniel 10:12-13 – “Don’t be afraid, Daniel,” he said to me, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your prayers were heard. I have come because of your prayers. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia opposed me for twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me after I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”
So here's the scenario. Daniel prays and brings his concern to the Lord. The Lord answered by sending His angel. There was a delay in this answer because the heavenly being was delayed by another powerful spirit. Even though Daniel wasn't fully aware of it, he was engaged in a battle far bigger than himself. It was a heavenly conflict that rages on, and all the while most human beings remain unaware of it. We're not only to be unaware of the spiritual battle happening right now, but we're also engaged in it whether you realize it or not. Paul said it this way.
Ephesians 6:12 – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens.”
This is talking about a battle that's going on right now that we cannot see. Daniel had been mourning, praying, and fasting for 3 weeks. The angel that was sent in response to his prayers told Daniel that he had been dispatched immediately upon hearing Daniel's request, and yet he was delayed (21 days) for a reason that Daniel didn't know of.
So what we see is a man prays, and God responds immediately. But the man didn't receive the answer to his prayer for some time. Maybe this is a pattern for many of our prayers. I think most everyone has had the experience of praying over a specific person or situation, day after day or even year after year, and seeing little to no change take place. The pattern that we just saw with Daniel's prayer is helpful because it reminds us that we can't possibly know everything that is happening in heaven as a result of our prayers.
There is a battle going on in the heavenly realm that we don't see. Daniel prayed and this angelic battle took place, yet he didn't have any knowledge of that battle. What seems like nothing happening was really a heavenly conflict going on to keep that prayer from being answered. Knowing this should add a new dimension to our faith because it reminds us that we can't mistake God's silence for His indifference. God does care. What we think is inactivity might very well be just the opposite. When we assume that nothing is happening as a result of our prayers, we assume that we know everything that's happening. But we're limited in our knowledge, sight, and understanding. If we say God isn't responding, we're assuming that we know everything that's happening in the heavenly realm.
If we assume that nothing is happening as a result of our prayers then we also assume that we know what's best and we know the right answer. When we pray, things are happening in response to that prayer, but we've convinced ourselves that we know the right outcome. We try to take it out of God's hands. bWe might miss what God's doing in response because we're too committed to our own answers. Praying and humility acknowledges the goodness of God, as well as our weakness and our lack of understanding.
We should think about that the next time we pray. As you pray, trust that God is responding, even if you don't visibly see what's happening. And then spend time praising Him for His goodness and His responsiveness. It might take some time before that heavenly battle is accomplished before your prayer is answered. But be assured, when we pray, God hears, and He responds. In His time, not ours.
Daniel 10:16-18 – “Suddenly one with human likeness touched my lips. I opened my mouth and said to the one standing in front of me, “My lord, because of the vision, anguish overwhelms me and I am powerless. 17 How can someone like me, your servant, speak with someone like you, my lord? Now I have no strength, and there is no breath in me.18 Then the one with a human appearance touched me again and strengthened me.”
Daniel was suddenly aware of his own weakness. He felt ill equipped to speak with this angel, much less stand in the midst of the spiritual conflict. Daniel didn't have any confidence in himself and for good reason. He was well advanced in years, decades beyond his physical prime, and he had just come face to face with an angelic being with incredible power. He felt powerless. Outmatched. I think we can begin to understand those feelings when it comes to our prayers. We struggle to pray with confidence, even though we're told to do just that.
Hebrews 4:15-16 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”
But just as God strengthened Daniel, He has given us all we need to approach prayer with confidence. Think about what God has given us so that we can pray with confidence?
-first of all He's given us a Father who loves us. We can approach God with our prayers because He is a good Father who knows how to give good gifts.
-He's given us the Son who prays for us. Jesus is our great high priest. When we pray, we might feel weak and powerless, but there's One who is all powerful Who is praying for us.
-we've also been given the Spirit who helps us.
Romans 8:26-27 – “In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
I hope just remembering these things will give us confidence as we pray. When we pray, we might be confused about the right outcome of a situation, so we might be unsure about how we should pray. We can be certain that the Holy Spirit isn't confused or unsure. He knows the will of God, and He's interceding for us not according to our desires, but according to God's will. We can pray confidently today because of God Himself. He has given us all that we need to do so.
Daniel 10:19 – “He said, “Don’t be afraid, you who are treasured by God. Peace to you; be very strong!” As he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.”
Why do we pray? We pray because our own solutions don't work. Because prayers fortify us against the attacks of the enemy. We pray because we're serious about taking back the ground that the devil has sought to take away from us.
This battle that goes on when we pray is very real. Our ability to enter into and stand in battle isn't dependent on our own strength but on God's. Daniel was strengthened not from his personal reserves but from an outside source. Our ability to stand in this spiritual battle is about our willingness to trust. In that sense, we can rejoice in our weaknesses. Because when we're aware of our weaknesses, there's no other option but to trust in the Lord. “When we are weak, He is strong.”
Daniel was told to be very strong because God had strengthened him. That's good news for us Christians today, as we fight every day. It was Peter who assured us that we have a very real enemy who even now is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
If that's so, as we walk through every day, the devil is doing his best to lead us astray. These battles come in a subtle way sometimes. We might reinterpret a promise of God to fit us. We might add an amendment to the gospel that doesn't necessarily fit Biblical standards. It might be the lingering thought of sin that causes us to commit that sin. These are the attacks that will surely come each day. But there is strength for us just as there was for Daniel.
The end result of the war has already been decided. As Christians we battle with a weakness in our own ability, and yet with full confidence in the strength of Jesus. The war has already been won, evil has been defeated, and Christians will reign victoriously with Jesus in the end.
So what can you do in light of what God has taught us today?
- First, we can follow Daniel's example and remove any distractions as we prepare ourself to be in a focused time of prayer.
- We can pray about current events. Pray for Israel and all that is going on there today.
- Then put on the full armor of God as we have spoken about.
- Acknowledge God's answers.
- You might want to keep a journal of ways that you see God moving in response to your prayers. It might surprise you how much God is doing when you pray.
But more than anything you need to know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You can’t fight this battle by yourself. You can't be a child of God without personally knowing His Son Jesus Christ.
We give you that opportunity today during our time of response. Our altars are open for you to lift up your prayers to our heavenly Father.
