God is not the one withholding or delaying the answer to your prayer. If you start off believing this, then you’re on your way to seeing your miracle manifest. God always answers instantly. The power is released in the spiritual realm and then we must receive it into our physical realm.

In Daniel chapter 9 and Chapter 10, Daniel prays two different prayers. The first prayer has an immediate response but the second one takes three weeks (with continual fasting and praying) before the response comes. In these two chapters, we learn some important things about receiving from God in prayer! Why is it that sometimes you see the manifestation to your prayer straight away and yet other times it takes a period of time before we can say, “there it is!”

Daniel 9:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said…”

Many people abort or cancel their faith between their “amen” and when they see the results to their prayer. What you do and say in that in-between time is very important. You could be pregnant with a miracle and yet abort it due to negligence. In Daniel 9, he prays a prayer and look what happens at the end of the prayer:

Daniel 9:20-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering. 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision”

Gabriel came in response to Daniel’s prayer and it’s important to note that the very moment that Daniel prayed, God sent the angel Gabriel to him to answer his prayer. I know that it says “the man Gabriel” but it is referring to the angel Gabriel. If you read through the prayer it takes about three to five minutes to read it depending on how slow you read. Gabriel said that as soon as Daniel started praying, he was sent and so God answered immediately but it took about 3 to 5 minutes for the answer to come. Then, in chapter 10, Daniel prays another prayer.

Daniel 10:2-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
“In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. 3 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.

4 Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris, 5 I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.”

This time Daniel fasted and prayed for three weeks until an answer came…

Daniel 10:12-14 New King James Version (NKJV)
“Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for 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. 13 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. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”

The reason that the answer didn’t come sooner was that there were demonic powers (demons) resisting it. The angel said that the moment Daniel first prayed, he was sent with the answer. God answered immediately  but there was something going on in the spiritual realm preventing the answer from manifesting straightaway. Most people in a situation like Daniel’s would have stopped and said, “I wonder why God didn’t answer my prayer.” And as a result they would have spoken death over their prayer and aborted the answer from being delivered.

There are probably a number of possible reasons as to why we sometimes see a delay to the manifestation of our prayers. We need to accept and be convinced that the Lord is not the variable. It may be a demonic thing preventing the outcome but since we live this side of Jesus’ death and resurrection we need to know that we’ve got more power and authority over the enemy than he has over an ant. We are power-packed and fully-loaded. We’re bigger than the devil and can easily deal with him – so never be scared of him! He is scared of the believer who knows his or her authority in Christ! James 4:7 says to simply submit to God and resist (actively fight against) the devil, and he will flee from you!

If you’re trusting God for something that involves other people, the “other people” may be the hindrance to your answered prayer! Say you’re trusting to sell your house or something like that, you need to know that God is not going to sell or buy your house but he can lead or inspire someone to do so. Someone else is going to buy the house. So, instead of focusing your faith on getting God to do something, focus your faith and pray for the people who are going to buy your house! Pray that they will be blessed and pray against any potential blockage they may be experiencing in their finances.

Back in 2003, I was trusting God for my first car. I prayed begging God to “please give me a car!” “God, I need a car so badly! I’m walking everywhere and I can’t do ministry properly. I have life groups and Bible studies to walk to and I can’t give anyone a lift…” I was trying to persuade God that I really needed a car! Then I got hold of Andrew Womack’s teachings and listened to a teaching on trusting God. I quickly realized that I had been praying all wrong! No wonder I wasn’t getting any results! I changed my prayer and said, “God, your Word says ‘ask and you will receive’ and ‘ask anything in My name and I will do it.” I have asked in your Name. I thank you that you have granted my request. In Jesus Name!” I wasn’t in greed praying, “Oh Lord I want a Ferrari.” Many people don’t see answers because they’re just in greed (James 4:3). I was praying, “I know You’ve given me a car, Lord – thank You for my car! I know that you’ve spoken to someone. I know that you’ve told them that they should give me a car. If there’s anything preventing them from doing this; if there’s a business deal that needs to go through or if there is cash which has held up or something, I just break any demonic attack on that and speak a release in Jesus name.”

I had been begging God for for months. All of a sudden, after I changed my way of praying, within a week I had a phone call and someone said, “God’s told me to give you a car!” And I wasn’t doing the hint ministry! I wasn’t telling everyone what I was trusting for – this prayer was between me and God. The person said over the phone, “I haven’t phoned you about the car, yet, even though I have been wanting to for a few weeks now. I’ve been trying to sort out things and there was finances all tied up which prevented me from giving it to you, but now it’s released! I can give you the car.”

Pray for the other people that may be involved in your answered prayer. Rebuke the demonic attack that they may be facing. Speak blessing and release over them. And don’t change your confession! Stand firm on the Word of God and keep trusting.

Mark 11:23-24 New King James Version (NKJV)
“…he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”