Daniel Prayers: Reclaim What Satan Has Stolen

Have you ever asked yourself, “Am I missing something? Where are the things Satan has stolen from me?”

These stolen things are still in existence somewhere, even though you can’t see them. When Satan steals our blessings, he doesn’t destroy them because he doesn’t have the power or authority to do so. He locks away these “treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places.” These stolen and hidden goods are our treasures.

What then are these treasures and riches? We know from God’s Word that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). How are the treasures of darkness different from the gifts and treasures of God, who is light?

They are “treasures of darkness” because the enemy has tucked them away in the secret treasure chests of his dark realm. Satan stole them by keeping our blessings from us, but God wants them back. Therefore, He promises to “break in pieces the gates of brass and cut in sunder the bars of iron.” God is plundering Satan’s treasure chests to restore what was seized by theft and deception.

Satan locked up the treasures of Daniel and Israel when he made the heavens brass above their heads, but Daniel’s 21 days of persistent prayer brought heavenly action. An angel appeared to Daniel and said:

Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard… (Daniel 10:12).

God heard Daniel immediately, but Daniel still had to persevere in prayer until the angel appeared and said:

…I am come for thy words (Daniel 10:12).

Beginning in Daniel 10:12, the Scriptures show how the angel pulled aside the veil that separates the realm of flesh from that of eternal spirit. He gave Daniel keen insight into the battles of heavenly princes and our prayers’ crucial role in their outcomes.

Four Results of Daniel’s Prayers

1. Prayer brought heavenly action.

Every child of God should be excited when he sees that Daniel’s prayers were heard and acted upon the first day he fell to his knees and prayed. Every single prayer offered in obedience and purity is heard and answered by God! (John 15:16; 16:23-24.) However, these answers are not always immediately visible. God ordained some answers to be fulfilled by fervent unyielding prayer, just as the one delivered to Daniel.

2. Prayer unlocked information.

Daniel learned vital information in four areas—the future of the Jewish people, the power of his prayer and the instant response God gave it, the nature of spiritual warfare in the heavenlies, and God’s opinion of him as an individual (See Daniel 10:10-12; 12:13).

The angel gave Daniel one of the Bible’s most far-reaching and detailed prophecies concerning future world events. This prophecy covers a large segment of world history.

3. Prayer unlocked angelic help.

The warrior-prince from heaven told Daniel, “I am come for thy words” (Daniel 10:12b). It was Daniel’s prayer that provoked the divine dispatch of angelic force and support for Daniel and his nation. His continuing prayer unleashed the formidable power of Michael, the archangel who assisted in bringing to Daniel God’s answer to his prayer. Daniel’s prayer unleashed the hounds of heaven on the demonic prince of Persia.

Please note that these heavenly beings were not like the tame variety of angels we usually imagine. The angel told Daniel:

Now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia (Daniel 10:20a).

That Hebrew word, lacham, literally means “to feed on; to consume (figuratively), to devour, overcome, prevail” (Strong’s, fight Heb., #3898). Daniel was in the presence of a very warlike angel who fought to win!

4. Prayer unlocked supernatural strength.

At the time of the angel’s appearance, Daniel was already weakened from 21 days of a partial fast and constant intercessory prayer over his heartbreaking burden. The appearance and voice of the angel caused him to faint, making him unable to receive the angelic message. Part of the angel’s assignment was to strengthen the man of God, just as angels ministered to Jesus after His 40-day fast and confrontation with the devil. The angel touched Daniel’s body three times as he imparted new strength to him (see Daniel 10:10,16,18).

Daniel moved kings, nations, and demonic principalities from his knees. We can only imagine what he might have done had he lived on this side of the Cross! Demonic strategy continues at hell’s gates, but Jesus declared those gates powerless against His Church. This was guaranteed by Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection and His gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church.

Nevertheless, you and I have a part to play in God’s plan. Let’s try to better understand our role by looking at two powerful Scriptures concerning gates:

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies (Genesis 22:17).

In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people, and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate (Isaiah 28:5-6).

God is interested in action based on obedience. If we turn the battle to hell’s gate, He will supply the strength for the battle! The devil has been busy making the heavens brass by enticing us to live in sin and disobedience. He then stole our most precious treasures and locked them away. He has been incredibly slick in his campaign against the Church. He has orchestrated and schemed planned attacks while the Church, distracted by irrelevant things, has squabbled, entertained, complained, and slept its way into needless failure.