Upon having a vision of a terrible war, Daniel went into mourning over what he saw and his inability to understand it. After three weeks of hearing nothing from the Lord, he was with a group of men by the banks of the Tigris River when suddenly, an angel appeared to Him. The Bible paints a vivid picture of how these events unfolded, and it describes the voice of the Heavenly messenger being like that of a multitude. At the sight and sound of such majesty, Daniel, who had not eaten for 24 days, hit the ground! After waking him up, the angel explained to the prophet that the Lord had indeed heard his prayer for understanding and had immediately dispatched him to bring clarity. However, the celestial servant was detained in a battle against the prince of Persia — most likely an arch demon — for 21 days! In fact, it says that Michael, one of the chief princes of the angels, had to come and help him because he was detained there and couldn’t escape on his own. Though it certainly isn’t easy to explain, this account makes it clear that although there was a delay on the receiving end, God had immediately responded to the prayers of His prophet. 

Remember, my friend, that your prayers are powerful and they cause movement among the hosts in Heaven. No request comes before the throne of God that goes unheard, but there may be a battle in the spiritual realm before a response reaches you. In fact, the greater the revelation of Divine glory dispatched in the fulfillment, the more intense the war to keep it from being manifest. Since answered prayers point straight to the existence of a loving and omnipotent Lord, the devil will try everything he can to keep them from coming forth. Nevertheless, keep praying, interceding, and believing with full assurance of faith that your Savior knows, hears, and willingly responds to your earnest pleas!