Q2. Spiritual Warfare

[Moises Percu]

The spiritual prince of Persia has resisted him. It teaches us that prayer and spiritual battles are totally connected. If we want to have answers and see the God’s kingdom progress we have to pray a lot.

[Clelie]

The angel who was to bring to Daniel the answer to his prayers was kept from doing so because the spiritual power that was over the land of Persia was resisting him. The arc angel a chief prince in the kingdom of God  came to help the angel messenger to answer Daniel,s prayers .

In a world ruled by satan and his hordes, the only way to stop and restrain  demonic activities in nations, people and rulers of the countries is through prayers. Prayers are a powerful tool give  to us to demolish strongholds in the spiritual realm . It is a war in the spirit  which is fought with spiritual weapon mighty in God. Amen 

 

 

[Krissi]

 

RIght now, as Christians confront and pray for their own corrupt and corrupted leaders, one reason they give themselves for why their prayers are not seemingly answered can be found in these verses of Daniel. THis doesn't mean that their assumption that seemingly unanswered prayers are due to heavenly battle is not correct -- but I do hold my breath a bit whenever I hear someone say that God would have answered their prayer (the way they expected it to be answered) if it were not for angelic battles in the heavenly realms. How do they know?

The cosmology underlying this are the two realms, earthly and heavenly, which intersect and impact each other. Our prayers are a way of connecting to the heavenly realm. But when we connect, as did Daniel, we don't know what's happening "up there." So we pray blindly, hoping that the much greater heavenly powers come "down" to the earth to help us out. We hope that our prayers are answered in a timely way -- in our lifetime, that is -- and that God will help us when we need help the most.

I find this part of the bible fascinating though opaque, at least to my little brain. I can understand that there are rulers, authorities and dark forces ... but they're in both realms, heavenly and earthly. They war against each other. The idea that God kicked out Satan forever makes sense, but the ramifications of this saving act are still playing out in the battle between the realms. Reading Daniel has made me more aware of the heavenly realm, that there are battle up there as well as down here, and that somehow what happens here -- and there -- impacts the heavens. It's all so mysterious. Paul claimed he was caught up into the third heaven. Where is this? Where is heaven one and two? 

All I know is that I feel like a pawn battered and buffeted by forces I cannot see, both good and bad.  My prayers may be answered in ways I understand, or may not be answered in my lifetime. I pray for the heavenly powers to come down to the earth and battle the evil powers here ... as well as there. I pray for peace, that the belligerent leaders of the world are confused and ineffective ... but war continues.