My last blog entry focused on what I called the invisible war. We are at war. Our enemy is not flesh and blood but an invisible host of powers and principalities. We looked at how these invisible hosts are layered, methodically organised and deceptively tucked behind “flesh and blood” – individuals and corporate entities. They are able to attach themselves on individuals and organisations lying in wait for an opportunity to kill, steal and destroy. As Walter Wink put it “When a particular Power becomes idolatrous, placing itself above God’s purposes for the good of the whole, then that Power becomes demonic.”

Seeing how deceptive our enemy is and the smoke and mirrors that appear in our daily struggles, the danger is always to wage war against the immediate human intermediaries in front of us. The apostle Paul cautions against that.

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

The moment we engage with human elements in our battle, we lose our purpose as ambassadors of Christ. The church’s purpose on earth is to exert Christ’s authority on earth so that men and women are freed from the bondage of sin and demonic control. When we treat the human elements in this invisible war as our enemies, we lose the right to be a blessing to them as we are called to be. We need to focus on the real enemy behind the human elements and corporate bodies. We need to battle against the invisible forces behind the evil that is being done and minister the good news of Christ to the individuals and organisations that are visible on earth – calling them back to their original purpose to serve their Creator and Redeemer. Making the distinction between our war against the invisible forces in the heavenly realm and our ministry to the visible elements in the earthly realm is critical in spiritual warfare.

The only way we can successfully wage war against demonic powers while preserving our divine call to seek and save the lost is to make prayer our weapon of choice. I’m not talking about meaningless word utterances that we sometimes call prayer. I’m talking about relentless prayer. The type of prayer that is persistent and unrelenting, until we see the enemy retreat and give up spiritual territory. The prophet Daniel saw this form of battle raging in the heavenlies in one of his visions.

Daniel 7:21-22 (NKJV) “I was watching; and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

Relentless prayer is our only weapon in this invisible war. Praying and keeping on praying until God speaks the word of judgment on our enemy. That favoured judgement will turn the tide in our battle and give us the ability to posses the kingdom. The end result will not only be an end to spiritual hostility and invisible barriers but also a redemption of lives and corporate structures.

Delayed prayer – a favoured strategy of the enemy

Paul spoke of being aware of Satan’s devices or schemes.

2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV) lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

One such scheme or device I have noticed that is frequently used by the enemy is delayed prayer. The reason the devil focuses his attention on delaying answers to prayer is to create an illusion that God has not answered our prayer.

Answered prayer is the most spiritually exhilarating and nourishing thing you will experience in your faith journey. Answered prayer always takes you to another level or dimension in your relationship with God. Answered prayer produces unshakable convictions. That is why Satan’s main activity is to delay answers to prayer. I have come to a place in my christian journey that I no longer believe there is such a thing as unanswered prayer. Unanswered prayer creates inconsistencies with the Word of God. That old strategy of the serpent – “did God really say”.

Unanswered prayer is an attack on the Father’s character

Unanswered prayer is a character assassination against God. Unanswered prayer suggests that God is not listening. He doesn’t care. He is not that good Father the Bible claims Him to be. Unanswered prayer accuses God of reneging on His promises. Unanswered prayer is inconsistent with the nature of God. Even the ungodly prophet Balaam prophesied about the unchanging nature of God in the context of His promises.

Numbers 23:19 (NLT) God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

To allow a belief system that accommodates unanswered prayers is to bring God down to a human level. To fail to act on a word is a lie. To allow the notion that God can fail to do what He promised is tantamount to calling Him a liar. No relationship can survive lies. Unanswered prayer will eventually create a divide between God the Father and the child of God.

Unanswered prayer is incompatible with the power of the name of Jesus

The Bible is adamant in declaring the pre-eminent, supreme, invincible, unlimited power of the risen Christ. Look at some of the bold statements of Scripture pertaining to the power of Jesus Christ.

John 14:12-14 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

Philippians 2:9-10 (NLT) Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Acts 3:16 (NLT) “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

Colossians 1:15-18 (NLT) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything.

The Bible is full of emphatic statements about the inexhaustible power of Jesus Christ the risen Saviour. To believe in the possibility that our prayers might not get answered, is to relegate to a lesser power the person whose name we use as guarantor in every prayer we utter.

So I have decided to no longer allow myself to believe that there is such a thing as unanswered prayer. I believe to accommodate any idea that God does not answer prayers dilutes the power of prayer. So to me unanswered prayer is not a thing. I have concluded that every unanswered prayer in my life is actually a delayed prayer. I want to present two case studies to prove my point.

UNANSWERED PRAYER: CASE STUDY 1 – Daniel 10:1-13

The prophet Daniel was in a position where he was troubled because he was facing the possibility of an unanswered prayer.

Daniel 10:2-3 (NKJV) In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

He is in mourning. What was he grieving about? Daniel received a vision but was waiting for answers in response to his vision. He saw turmoil ahead but didn’t know what to do or how to respond to it. The twenty one day wait for an answer caused him grief. Why? I believe because he sensed that it was inconsistent with the nature of the God he served.

DANIEL RECEIVED AN EXPLANATION FOR THE DELAY

Daniel 10:12-13 (NKJV) from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

Note the phrase “from the first day”. In other words God’s nature is to answer prayers immediately. The angel was giving no room for Daniel to develop a theology that God sometimes does not answer prayers. There can never be any space for doubt to fester. When we engage in prayer it must be with a sense of certainty that God hears and God responds to every prayer.

Matthew 7:8 (NKJV) For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

It would seem like Daniel had such confidence. That is probably why he went into grief mode as he couldn’t understand the seeming indifference to his plea on God’s part. I find the opening statement of the angel very revealing – “from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard”. God hears every prayer the moment it is uttered. If God hears, God responds. It’s the Father’s nature. He responds to the voice of His children.

John 14:13-14 (NKJV) And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

Answered prayer glorifies God (renders or esteems Him glorious). Every answered prayer magnifies, brings honour, gives weight to who God is. If answered prayer glorifies the Father then unanswered prayer damages His name and His reputation. That is why Daniel needed to know this – “from the first day…God heard your prayer” and dispatched the answer. So there was never any question whether Daniel’s prayer was going to be answered. It wasn’t unanswered prayer – rather delayed prayer.

The angel gives us some incite into the going ons in the invisible war when a prayer is uttered by a believer.

• “but the prince of Persia withstood me” – delayed prayer is the enemy’s strategy.

• “Michael came to help me” – spiritual warfare is real.

• “I have come because of your words” – Daniel’s persistent and heightened prayer gave momentum during the war that was raging.

That’s the importance of refusing to settle for unanswered prayer. When we allow ourselves to believe God has decided not to answer our prayer, we accept something that is not a Kingdom principle. God has not given that to us. A decision to settle on the idea of an unanswered prayer robs us of our inheritance and robs God of His glory. Daniel knew the nature of God. He answers when we call on Him. So he kept on praying until he got the answer. Relentless prayer is a powerful weapon in this war against demonic delay to our prayers.

UNANSWERED PRAYER: CASE STUDY 2 – Luke 18:1-8

The parable of the persistent widow is an important lesson for every believer who is in the midst of delayed answers to prayer. Jesus told a story of an unjust judge who did not fear God neither did he fear man – he wasa rule unto himself. A widow harasses him until he gets worn out and gives judgement in her favour. The lessonJesus draws from this parable is the most important teaching on prayer as far as I am concerned. Let’s unpack that:

Luke 18:6-8 (NKJV) Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

• We see the response of God in the midst of delayed prayer – God will “avenge”. It’s a very strange word to use in the context of prayer. The greek words poieō ekdikēsis was used. The word poieō means to execute and the word ekdikēsis means revenge;. Jesus was implying that God will execute revenge for every delayed prayer.

  Why avenge? – because delayed prayer is an onslaught against the nature of a good Father who gives good things to His children. Delayed prayer implies God doesn’t care; God’s not there; God’s forsaken me;

  Why avenge? – because your pain is His pain. Christ bore your suffering and the fact you are still suffering negates the work on the cross. It’s not ok. It will never be ok

• We see the response of a believer in the midst of delayed prayer – “elect who cry out day and night” . Relentless prayer is our only weapon when faced with delayed prayer. Why cry out day and night? It’s because you know it’s out of character for God not to respond to your needs.

• We see the right idea of God to hold on to when facing delayed prayer – “bears long with them”. God is not distant from you. If anything He is closest to you when you are in the midst of your battle for an answer to your prayer. There is a sense that God is affected by the delay as much as we are. He bears long with you. He is at your side while the war rages on.

• We see the right attitude to cultivate in the midst of delayed prayer – “He will avenge speedily”. There is no such thing as unanswered prayer. Just delayed prayer. It is the nature of God to answer prayer.

DON’T MISS THE POINT OF THE PARABLE

Luke makes it very clear why Jesus told us this parable.

Luke 18:1 (NKJV) Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart

If there was such a thing as unanswered prayer, it would be cruel on Jesus part to string us on and say keep praying and don’t give up. Jesus was making it really clear – prayer is always answered. When you prayer you need to be prepared to keep on praying until you receive the answer to your prayer. That’s how prayer works – you pray and God answers. So when you haven’t received your answer – keep praying. When faced with unanswered prayer you should know that is not an option. Keep praying – not just persistently (continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition) but relentlessly (with unceasing intensity).

Jesus’ summary statement after the parable is a sobering thought.

Luke 18:8 (MSG) But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?

Unanswered prayer gives me an out to stop praying. Delayed prayer puts the responsibility on me to keep praying, believing that God always answers prayers. Are you willing to be persistent – not only persistent but relentless in your praying until you see your prayer answered? That’s the faith Christ will be looking for when He returns.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS UNANSWERED PRAYER – JUST DELAYED PRAYER. KEEP PRAYING – IT IS THE NATURE OF GOD TO ANSWER PRAYER.