Prayer

Daniel 10:12 Then he said, "Don't be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. 13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.14 Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come."

There are two realms of existence: the natural and the spiritual. The Bible says that when God created the earth, the natural and spiritual realms were joined together. Man spent time in the Garden with God. The Bible says that Jesus' plan and current work is preparing the natural earth to be re-joined to the supernatural spirit realm (Rev 21). Until then, there is a veil that usually keeps those of us in natural bodies from seeing all the amazing things happening around us in the spiritual realm.

The broken state of our present natural earth is really temporary, but the state of the spiritual realm is eternal. Real and lasting things are taking place in the spiritual realm.

The Bible is clear that when we see conflict in the natural realm, it is connected to something happening in the spiritual realm, when we see blessing, that is connected to the spiritual realm, as well. The huge disadvantage for people in this age is that we generally can't see or know what is happening in the eternal spiritual realm, only what the consequences are here in the natural.

Picture a game of Battleship. When you are calling out numbers and letters, something is happening on the other side, and you get hints here and there, but until you sink a ship, you aren't really sure that you are accomplishing anything. But if you are willing to watch and listen, you can make sense of the signs and actually win this blind game!

Praying is a lot like this. When trouble comes into our life, and we pray, heaven begins moving immediately. Every prayer we release, even the ones that are barely a sigh, they actually move things in heaven. The problem is, we don't see the results in the natural right away. We need spiritual "eyes" to see what is happening in the "real and eternal" realm, not our broken natural realm. If we ask God for spiritual eyes, we will start to notice seemingly minor hints about what is happening in the spiritual realm. Unlike Daniel, who needed an angel to come and tell him his prayer was responded to as soon as He started praying, we have the Holy Spirit who wants to give us glimpses into His realm!

Not having confidence that our prayers are actually doing something leads us to give up on praying earlier than we should. We want faith that our prayers are moving heaven always. Faith is being sure of what we hope for. Don't give up praying. Know by faith that as soon as you pray, something is happening, and if you will stay with it, you will see the victory in heaven moving at the sound of your voice!

In Psalm 18 David paints a picture of what happened when he prayed for help. Look at all he describes happening in the spirit before he actually "feels" the help!

Psalm 18:1 I love you, LORD ;

you are my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

3 I called on the LORD , who is worthy of praise,

and he saved me from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death entangled me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

5 The grave wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

6 But in my distress I cried out to the LORD ;

yes, I prayed to my God for help.

He heard me from his sanctuary;

my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.

The foundations of the mountains shook;

they quaked because of his anger.

8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;

fierce flames leaped from his mouth.

Glowing coals blazed forth from him.

9 He opened the heavens and came down;

dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.

10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,

soaring on the wings of the wind.

11 He shrouded himself in darkness,

veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.

12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him

and rained down hail and burning coals.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven;

the voice of the Most High resounded

amid the hail and burning coals.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;

his lightning flashed, and they were greatly confused.

15 Then at your command, O LORD ,

at the blast of your breath,

the bottom of the sea could be seen,

and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

he drew me out of deep waters.

17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,

from those who hated me and were too strong for me.

18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,

but the LORD supported me.

19 He led me to a place of safety;

he rescued me because he delights in me.

20 The LORD rewarded me for doing right;

he restored me because of my innocence.

21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD ;

I have not turned from my God to follow evil.

Have confidence that every prayer is moving your situation. Our faith, demonstrated in our willingness to come to God as our first plan, pleases God!