Written by Paul J Bucknell on August, 07, 2020
The Hindrances of Satan in Prayer (Daniel 10:13)
The Question
In Daniel 10:13, we read of the faithful servant, Daniel, who prayed to God. Though his request was delivered by Gabriel the Princes of Persia, his prayers were—by satanic involvement—disallowed for days.
Does this involvement by the evil one still persist under the New Testament, since Christ overcame the devil on the cross? Or do you believe that as Christians our requests are sometimes blocked by Satan?
“Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:12-13).
Understanding the Power of Prayer
In short, our situation as New Testament believers appears to be similar to those in the Old Testament times. You are correct stating that the evil one has lost his power. “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14).
But there are several insights indicating that there is an ongoing battle with the evil one so that he hinders our prayers, not very different from in Daniel’s time. The issue is not whether God heard Daniel’s faithful and proper prayer requests—“Your words were heard” (Dan 10:12). The question is whether the evil one wages war in a way which delays or otherwise hinders the completion of our prayers.
An Ongoing Spiritual Warfare (Eph 6:12)
There are clear statements speaking of powerful angelic and demonic forces still in operation during the New Testament age.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)
Since this is the case, then it is likely that the same forces struggle against each other, attempting to hinder the other. For this reason, we need to stay alert to the evil one’s devices. This ongoing attack is true for all Christians, calling us to be diligent and regularly “put on” our spiritual armor.
Why persevere in prayer except that there are special forces to distract or hinder our prayers into complete realization. “Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).
The Ongoing Need for Diligent Prayer (Mat 6:13)
Jesus also taught and warned His disciples of the need for ongoing prayer. From the night before the cross to right now, the Lord urges us to be persevering in our prayers.
Even in Jesus’ model prayer, Jesus asserts the need to daily pray, “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mat 6:13). Trouble surrounds us; we are not safe until we prayerfully seek God’s grace to protect us from the “evil one.” One prayer doesn’t solve our dilemma.
The Lord, in the Old and New Testaments, commonly points out the need for constant prayers. Consider the example of God’s people praying and the commonplace exhortations to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thes 5:17). Jesus taught, “This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:29).
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
Conclusion
What marks the New Testament age is not easily or quickly gained prayer requests but the assurance that God will hear. Daniel had this confidence. God does sometimes instantly answer prayer, but He also, at times, awaits God’s people to pray “with one mind” (Acts 1:14). We need to persevere in prayer because the evil one uses all sorts of means to frustrate, confuse, and hinder His people. So though Jesus says that we can in Jesus’ Name receive what we ask according to His will (John 16:23), Paul also calls us to persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12).
In the end, we need to ask what is happening in the spiritual realm when we pray. We don’t completely understand these things but can be assured that consistent, believing prayer brings about all that is desired and good.
Delays in prayer, perhaps, has more to do with God’s purposes of His willingness to work through the coordinated and harmonious prayers of His people. He will wait for us. We could see things happen earlier, but when God’s people pray with one mind, then this time is shortened.
Discussion Questions on Prayer and Satan’s Hindrances
- Read through Daniel 10 and observe the main reasons Daniel’s prayer was not quickly answered.
- In what ways is the Lord more fully in charge in the New Testament era?
- Why does the Lord call believers to persevere in prayer?
- Have you “with one mind” prayed with other believers?
- Do you persevere in prayer? Give an example.
For further study on prayer:
Once we confirm our will with His, then we just need to persevere in prayer. Remember Elijah? He kept asking his servant to go back and see if there were any ...
The Development of One’s Prayer Life analyzes how prayer develops at various levels ... occur when prayer does not properly develop and how to strengthen our prayer lives at each level of spiritual growth. ....
... life when a person becomes a believer and begins to pray to God the Father. The important foundation for a good prayer life are set up early in a believer’s life.
The strength of our Christian lives is conditional upon our prayer lives. Numerous descriptions of prayer help us get a better grasp on our prayer lives. ...
The Developing Prayer Life of the Mature Believer analyzes how prayer develops at the last stage of Christian living by identifying what problems occur when prayer does not properly develop and how to ...
Biblical Foundations for Freedom has a great many articles and videos on prayer. We have ... BFF desires your prayers to bring revival through the release of His powerful Word throughout the world! Join our …
The Developing Prayer of the Young Believer analyzes how prayer develops at the young believer stage including the identification ... At different stages of our spiritual lives, prayer develops in differing ways.
Ephesians 6:18-24 ~ The Place of Prayer in a Believer’s Life is part 2 of 4 of The Bible Teaching Commentary on “What you Really Believe about Prayer” which ...
