Many believers have fasted for a day, going about their day, praying instead of eating physical food.  God’s church has promoted prayer and fasting as programs to get people to talk with God and take time to listen.  Some fast to ask God to bless what they want to accomplish as a church.  The latter is not pleasing to God. 

Daniel teaches us that fasting is a time of mourning over sins, tenacious praying for God’s will be done along with courageous waiting.  Waiting?  Wait, what?!  We don’t like to wait, do we?  We want to get alone for a few minutes to pray, asking God for what will relieve our current situation, while expecting an immediate answer that will flow from God’s mouth to our ears.  We want immediate results.  In other words, we want microwave actions for our few minutes of praying.  Done and done. 

The angel messenger teaches Daniel that his prayers were being heard. “From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. But I was waylaid…as if to say, “wait, one moment, for we are having spiritual technical difficulties.”  The answer was decided but waiting was involved on the part of the one requesting.

Daniel 10, The Message

A Vision of a Big War

In the third year of the reign of King Cyrus of Persia, a message was made plain to Daniel, whose Babylonian name was Belteshazzar. The message was true. It dealt with a big war. He understood the message, the understanding coming by revelation:

^2-3 “During those days, I, Daniel, went into mourning over Jerusalem for three weeks. I ate only plain and simple food, no seasoning or meat or wine. I neither bathed nor shaved until the three weeks were up.

^4-6 “On the twenty-fourth day of the first month I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris. I looked up and to my surprise saw a man dressed in linen with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body was hard and glistening, as if sculpted from a precious stone, his face radiant, his eyes bright and penetrating like torches, his arms and feet glistening like polished bronze, and his voice, deep and resonant, sounded like a huge choir of voices.

^7-8 “I, Daniel, was the only one to see this. The men who were with me, although they didn’t see it, were overcome with fear and ran off and hid, fearing the worst. Left alone after the appearance, abandoned by my friends, I went weak in the knees, the blood drained from my face.

^9-10 “I heard his voice. At the sound of it I fainted, fell flat on the ground, face in the dirt. A hand touched me and pulled me to my hands and knees.

¹¹ “‘Daniel,’ he said, ‘man of quality, listen carefully to my message. And get up on your feet. Stand at attention. I’ve been sent to bring you news.’

“When he had said this, I stood up, but I was still shaking.

^12-14 “‘Relax, Daniel,’ he continued, ‘don’t be afraid. From the moment you decided to humble yourself to receive understanding, your prayer was heard, and I set out to come to you. But I was waylaid by the angel-prince of the kingdom of Persia and was delayed for a good three weeks. But then Michael, one of the chief angel-princes, intervened to help me. I left him there with the prince of the kingdom of Persia. And now I’m here to help you understand what will eventually happen to your people. The vision has to do with what’s ahead.’

^15-17 “While he was saying all this, I looked at the ground and said nothing. Then I was surprised by something like a human hand that touched my lips. I opened my mouth and started talking to the messenger: ‘When I saw you, master, I was terror-stricken. My knees turned to water. I couldn’t move. How can I, a lowly servant, speak to you, my master? I’m paralyzed. I can hardly breathe!’

^18-19 “Then this humanlike figure touched me again and gave me strength. He said, ‘Don’t be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.’

“Even as he spoke, courage surged up within me. I said, ‘Go ahead, let my master speak. You’ve given me courage.’

^20-21 “He said, ‘Do you know why I’ve come here to you? I now have to go back to fight against the angel-prince of Persia, and when I get him out of the way, the angel-prince of Greece will arrive. But first let me tell you what’s written in The True Book. No one helps me in my fight against these beings except Michael, your angel-prince.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

It’s not as much about doing without regular meals, getting alone to pray, but it’s in the expectant, courageous waiting that humbles us and causes us to LET GO of all we think we control in order to ready ourselves to listen with understanding to the supreme answer that God is about to deliver.

This is our war.  Satan loves busy people who do not wait.  We are most venerable and weak when we refuse to wait on God.

Daniel mourned, fasted, and prayed for his nation for three weeks, but it only seemed God wasn’t listening. On day 22, an angel appeared to Daniel, explaining that God had sent the answer immediately, but he was delayed because of a spiritual battle.  The answer to our prayer often doesn’t come immediately. However, like Daniel, we need to persevere and believe that God’s answer is on the way.

Waiting to God does not involve worry!  It does not mean to fret, make demands, or take control. Nor is waiting inactivity. Waiting is a sustained effort to stay focused on God through prayer and belief. Read ALL of Psalm 37 to understand waiting.  Here is a snapshot: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…”  And another snippet, “Hope in the Lord and keep his way.”  This psalm also tells us that God will lift us up in the wait and give us courage as we wait.  Wow, sounds as if we actually grow in the wait, right?

Max Lucado, writer-speaker-pastor, tells his “waiting testimony”: 

“Waiting is easier read than done. It doesn’t come easily for me. I’ve been in a hurry my whole life. Hurrying to school, hurrying to finish homework. Pedal faster, drive quicker. I used to put my wristwatch face on the inside of my arm so I wouldn’t lose the millisecond it took to turn my wrist. What insanity! I wonder if I could have obeyed God’s ancient command to keep the Sabbath holy. To slow life to a crawl for 24 hours. The Sabbath was created for frantic souls like me, people who need this weekly reminder: The world will not stop if you do!”

Waiting is not easy for any of us but very necessary for our communication with the One who loves us most and wants the very best for us.  God instructed His people arriving to the promised to stop their work three times a year and gather for worship.  To stop all work!  To be still, let go and humble themselves before the God of promises and provisions!  Remember, while on the journey to the promised land, (forty years of waiting), God literally gave daily manna food as a reminder that it was necessary to thank God daily for what He had provided—in the wait!  It could not be stored but had to be eaten that day.

Friends, there is always so much more to God’s story than the words on the paper.  God wants our hearts.  God wants us to wait by humbly letting go and letting Him restore the joy of His salvation at work within us.  When this happens, pure, holy peace results.

While Daniel was waiting, God was working. I wonder what if Daniel had given up? Lost faith? Walked away from God?  Better questions: What if I give up? Lose faith? Walk away?  What if you?  Don’t. For heaven’s sake, don’t. All of heaven is warring on our behalf. Above and around us at this very instant, God’s messengers are at work.

Fast, pray, and wait.  It is beneficial for our faith and trust in God.  Lean into the message the angel gave to Daniel today:

“Don’t be afraid, friend. Peace. Everything is going to be all right. Take courage. Be strong.”

“God’s my strength, he’s also my song, and now he’s my salvation.”  Psalm 118:14 MSG

Lord,

Thank you for this message of wait.  In the wait you grow and mature us.  In the wait, new mercies are given.  Great is your faithfulness, O Lord!  All I have needed your hands have provided.  I believe.  All I am I owe to you and give back to you. To you be the glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen