“The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me 21 days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia.”
– Daniel 10:13
I wish we could read this whole chapter here. For time, we won’t, but basically what’s happening here is Daniel as he has prayed is given a picture of the spiritual battle, warfare that is taking place in the heavenly realms that affects what is happening on earth.
Might our eyes be opened to the reality of spiritual warfare and the weapon we have been giving to fight.
This Verse Tells Us That Our Battle is Against Evil Forces
The picture is angelic beings warring with one another as Daniel prays. And Daniel’s prayers are affecting what’s happening in that spiritual battle. I don’t understand how all this works, but I do know… I mean, scripture is clear, I know Ephesians 6, we know our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the powers, the spiritual authorities in this dark world, the spiritual force of evil in the heavenly places.
That’s why Paul goes on to talk about the armor of God because there is a spiritual battle that is taking place, that struggles not just about flesh and blood, meaning what we can see physically, or rulers and powers and authorities and this dark world spiritual force of evil in the heavenly places. So we pray as a part of spiritual warfare. I think about one specific circumstance I was praying for this morning. Just as I was praying, I was clearly cognizant. I was just reminded, this is a battle. I was praying for this particular person, and there is a battle that is raging for this person’s heart. There is a spiritual battle raging for this person’s heart, and I don’t want to sit idly by while that battle is taking place.
I want to pray believing that God has designed, and the mystery of his providence, my prayers to be a means by which that battle is effected. And I pray, I pray that battle is won for that person’s heart, that person’s heart is drawn to God.
Daniel 10:13 Reminds Us That We are Engaged in Spiritual Warfare
So when you pray, realize you are participating in spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is not just kind of wild, crazy things that happen here or there, like spiritual warfare is happening every single day, really every moment in our minds, in our hearts, and prayer is the spiritual weapon in this warfare. So we pray God helps us to realize the spiritual warfare that’s happening all around us right now. Right now in our own minds, our own desires, our own lives, our own words, our own actions, our own families, and our own workplaces, there is spiritual warfare happening all around us. God, help us to be aware that there’s so much more than what we see physically. Please help us particularly in the West with our rationalistic minds that almost discount the spiritual.
We may not say that, but functionally we do, so God helps us. Make us aware, open our eyes, and help us to see not only spiritual warfare as a reality around us, but the weapon you have given us to wield in this warfare, in prayer, so God we pray right now. We pray for all kinds of things going on in our lives and the lives of people around us, and we pray that you would use our prayers.
Even as this short podcast comes to a close, we pray that it will lead into intercession for different people. Praying for different things and realizing that these are spiritual battles that we are involved in as we pray. And we pray, God we pray the battle belongs to you. Yours is the victory, so show your powers, show your victory, show your glory, show your grace, show your mercy, show your justice, show yourself strong in the battle oh God we pray.
Daniel 10:13 Calls Us to Glorify the Name of God
We plead for your name to be glorified, we plead for our hearts to be drawn to you, we plead for your provision so that your name might be glorified, and we plead for your help, for your hope, for your strength, for your wisdom in our lives and the lives of people around us, and we pray that you would answer our prayers, that you would show your power in spiritual warfare through our pray. What a privilege oh God, and help us to take full advantage of this privilege. Not just privilege, responsibility you have given us to pray in the midst of spiritual battle all around us.
So we pray in light of spiritual battle all around us and far from us. Oh, what a privilege God to pray, and the responsibility to pray for spiritual battle happening far from us. God, we pray for the Dong Zhuang people in China, totally unreached… No known Christian or church in the history of the Dong Zhuang people in China. God, we pray. We know that it’s a spiritual battle. There is a battle raging for the hearts and minds of men and women and children. Among the Dong Zhuang people in China. Please oh God, cause your grace, your mercy, your gospel to make known among them. Cause hearts to turn to you. We plead for this. We join in the spiritual battle for the Dong Zhuang people in China.
This Verse Helps Us See Salvation from God
Please, show your salvation there. Show your glory there. Oh God, help us to take our place daily in a spiritual battle, not just for those situations, those people right around us, our own lives right around us. Yes, that end, people far from us ultimately for the spread of your gospel to all the people groups in the world where the adversary has kept this gospel from going to them. God we enter into that battle on a daily basis. We plead, we plead for your glory among all the nations including, including specifically oh God the Dong Zhuang people in China.
We ask for that in Jesus’ name. God, we pray in light of spiritual warfare all around us, all around the world, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.