Prayer sets off alarm bells in hell - at least, some prayers do.
A good example is the story of Daniel in Daniel 10.
The chapter begins with the prophet Daniel receiving a vision. He sees "events certain to happen in the future - times of war and great hardship".
When he received the vision he had already been in mourning for his people, Jews exiled in Babylon. He had even given up rich food in a kind of fast.
But he did not understand the vision and sought God for an explanation.
Then one day, while walking by the Tigris River, he looked up and saw an amazing sight - a man in linen clothing with a gold belt, his body glistening "like a precious gem".
"His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people."
The people with Daniel fled - terrified - leaving him alone. He fainted.
Then, the angel - for that is who he was - touched Daniel and lifted him to his hands and knees. He told Daniel to stand up and hear his message because Daniel was "very precious to God" and the Lord had sent him with an answer to his prayers.
The angel said God had sent the angel in answer to Daniel's prayer as soon as he received it. But - and here is the really interesting part - the angel had been delayed for 21 days.
Why? Because the "Prince of Persia" had blocked him. The Prince of Persia was a servant of Satan's.
The angel called on Michael, the archangel, for help and they engaged in an epic battle, allowing the angel to complete his mission to Daniel.
For me, this is a vivid picture of the importance of prayer. Daniel's prayer was so important that God sent an angel to deliver an answer personally and the Devil did his utmost to stop him.
As the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6, our battle is "not 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".
Prayer that seeks to advance God's kingdom on earth shakes hell. We don't see it with our human eyes but Daniel 10 makes clear that is what is happening.
We have a fearsome weapon in our hands - prayer.
A good example is the story of Daniel in Daniel 10.
The chapter begins with the prophet Daniel receiving a vision. He sees "events certain to happen in the future - times of war and great hardship".
When he received the vision he had already been in mourning for his people, Jews exiled in Babylon. He had even given up rich food in a kind of fast.
But he did not understand the vision and sought God for an explanation.
Then one day, while walking by the Tigris River, he looked up and saw an amazing sight - a man in linen clothing with a gold belt, his body glistening "like a precious gem".
"His face flashed like lightning, and his eyes flamed like torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice roared like a vast multitude of people."
The people with Daniel fled - terrified - leaving him alone. He fainted.
Then, the angel - for that is who he was - touched Daniel and lifted him to his hands and knees. He told Daniel to stand up and hear his message because Daniel was "very precious to God" and the Lord had sent him with an answer to his prayers.
The angel said God had sent the angel in answer to Daniel's prayer as soon as he received it. But - and here is the really interesting part - the angel had been delayed for 21 days.
Why? Because the "Prince of Persia" had blocked him. The Prince of Persia was a servant of Satan's.
The angel called on Michael, the archangel, for help and they engaged in an epic battle, allowing the angel to complete his mission to Daniel.
For me, this is a vivid picture of the importance of prayer. Daniel's prayer was so important that God sent an angel to deliver an answer personally and the Devil did his utmost to stop him.
As the apostle Paul said in Ephesians 6, our battle is "not 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".
Prayer that seeks to advance God's kingdom on earth shakes hell. We don't see it with our human eyes but Daniel 10 makes clear that is what is happening.
We have a fearsome weapon in our hands - prayer.
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