Arise and Shine for the Glory of the Lord has risen among you. Isaiah 60:1
Have you ever had a dream that perplexed you? What about a dream that seemed so real, it scared you! Have you ever been so terrorized in a vision of the night that you asked God to take dreams away from you?
'No don't do that!' I began realizing God gave me dreams that I was to pray and intercede for the people in my dreams. I began getting an understanding that the Lord was entrusting me to 'do something' about what I was seeing and perceiving. Did you ever have the same dream; once, twice, even a third or fourth time? Did you ever set out to understand why you were seeing and feeling what you were being entrusted with?
14"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it. 15"In a dream, a vision of the night, When sound sleep falls on men, While they slumber in their beds, 16Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction,…17That He may turn man aside from his conduct, And keep man from pride; 18He keeps back his soul from the pit, And his life from passing over into Sheol.
(Job 33:14-18)
19-22 “Or, God might get their attention through pain, by throwing them on a bed of suffering, So they can’t stand the sight of food, have no appetite for their favorite treats. They lose weight, wasting away to nothing, reduced to a bag of bones. They hang on the cliff-edge of death, knowing the next breath may be their last.
23-25 “But even then an angel could come, a champion—there are thousands of them!— to take up your cause, A messenger who would mercifully intervene, canceling the death sentence with the words: ‘I’ve come up with the ransom!’ Before you know it, you’re healed, the very picture of health! Job 33:19-25 (MSG)
God will open up our spiritual senses while we slumber in our beds. He uncovers our ears at that time and terrifies us with warnings, turning a person from their actions, keeping us from pride, sparing our souls from the Pit and our lives from violent death. Sometimes, our bodies pain us so much that we lose our appetites and begin to really fast, lament, and groan. If we did that....hmmm....what does verse 23 say? That maybe an angel would come and take up our cause, mercifully intervening, canceling the death sentence with words....YOU'RE HEALED!
That's how much he loves us. God is so full of mercy. Visions of the night are a gift from the Lord to protect us from our sinful pride and arrogance. If you have asked for your night visions to be taken away, I encourage you now to repent and ask God to forgive you and restore that gift of life and intercession back to you.
Did you ever stop to study Daniel to see why his prayer was unanswered for 21 days? I have. In doing another 21-day Daniel Fast, I began to ponder and wonder what caused Daniel to seek God in the first place. That's hard-core to seek God for 21 days and still not get an answer...Let's begin in Daniel 10:1-9
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia
a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshaz'zar. And
the word was true, and
it was a great conflict. And
he understood the word and
had understanding of the vision.
'In those days, I, Daniel, have been
mourning three weeks of days;
I didn’t eat any rich food, no meat or wine entered my mouth, and I didn’t put any oil on my body until the three weeks were over.
On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, that is, the Tigris,
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I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body resembled yellow jasper, and his face had an appearance like lightning. His eyes were like blazing torches; his arms and feet had the gleam of polished bronze. His voice thundered forth like the sound of a large crowd. Only I, Daniel, saw the vision; the men who were with me did not see it. On the contrary, they were overcome with fright and ran away to hide. So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.
Daniel understood the word given through the vision. He saw a great war. Daniel understood and gained insight into the future through his vision.
Daniel's fasting prepared his physical body for an angelic visitation from heaven. As he emptied himself out and denied his flesh, Daniel's spirit strengthened.
The timing of this vision was very important as well. Notice it was in the four and twentieth day of the first month (The 24th of the first month) What is the first month on the Hebrew calendar?
It was during Nisan (Abib), what our calendar reflects as mid-March -mid-April. Around the Hebrew Passover celebration. Daniel saw the angel with his eyes enough to give a full, detailed description..."His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. Daniel's visitation brought him to the ground in reverence. When he heard the angel's voice, he fell into a deep sleep...
Why is it that Daniel was with other men and they did NOT see the angel? I believe Daniel had been fasting and in prayer for three full weeks. He mourned and sought God without missing a day. His physical body was prepared for this encounter. The other men were not physically prepared for this spiritual encounter. I find it very peculiar as to what happened next to the men who didn't see the angel. The men with him who did NOT see the angel were SUDDENLY filled with great terror and dread. Not only were they filled with terror and dread, they ran and hid themselves. I wonder if they heard the angel's voice? Daniel describes the angel's voice as that of a multitude that roared. Do you think they heard the sound and sensed the fear of the Lord and that's why they ran and hid themselves? I mean, seriously, think about that for a moment. Daniel said he was the only one who saw the angel. He saw the angel and was able to describe him saying his face looked like lightening. His body looked like a precious gem (beryl/topaz/yellow jasper/chrysolite)
 
So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. Daniel had no one to witness this experience with him. He described it as amazing! Even though his body had been prepared for three weeks, this experience physically drained him so much that his strength left him, and his face turned white and he felt weak with no strength. This is how many feel as they are slain in the spirit. When the power of God comes upon your frail body, many react differently. Daniel's companions did not even see the angel, yet they trembled, quaked and ran and hid. Wonder what they were hiding from? Daniel's strength left his body even though he testified that the vision was amazing. This is what I believe is what happens when the 'fear of the Lord' falls upon a body. His vigor turned into frailty. Daniel still heard the angel's words...but they put him to sleep. Daniel got slain in the spirit! " Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground."
Daniel 10:10 -And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
The Messenger angel was there with a purpose! He had a message for Daniel. Daniel 10:11-12
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And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer."
Fasting prepares our bodies for a Glorious visitation! The messenger told Daniel, "Do NOT be afraid!" He assured Daniel that he was very important to God. So much so that from the very first day he began to pursue understanding and humbled himself before God, his words had been heard in heaven!
Isn't that so reassuring! From the first day we set ourselves to PURSUE God and HUMBLE ourselves through consecration, fasting, praying, seeking, emptying ourselves out of our selfishness, our prayers go directly to God!
The angel continue to tell Daniel that he would have been there a lot sooner BUT the Spirit of Persia opposed him and PREVENTED his coming to Daniel. Wow! In Daniel, Chapter 1, we see how the enemy tried to snuff out Daniel by capturing him and stealing his identity...Daniel wouldn't have it...He shined in his gifting and devotion to God, in spite of! His gift made way for him. He kept his heart pure and undefiled. He drew closer to God in his imprisonment. Now that Daniel was humbling himself by fasting and praying, the answered prayer and message from God couldn't get through to him.
It was so important to God that Daniel got this message of assurance, promise, encouragement, that reinforcement angels were released on this same mission and fought for Daniel, as he continues to be still...The battle is God's. The battle is not Daniel's. As Daniel was still and sought God with his whole heart, mind, and soul, he set himself up for a divine appointment with some MIGHTY archangels.
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But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. (Daniel 10:13)
I can't even imagine what the battle scene of this angelic encounter in the heavenlies looked like. The messenger angel was BLOCKED...BLOCKED answer to prayer! He had to wait for back-up. If he had to wait for back-up, that must mean that we need to be patient in our prayers to see our answers come!
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. 6 But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; 7, 8 for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.(James 1:2-8)
Daniel remained STEADFAST in his humility, prayer, fasting, and seeking God for his answer. The messenger was sent to Daniel to help him understand his vision. Daniel mourned because of the vision he had seen in a dream three weeks prior to his angelic visitation. Daniel's vision had left him depressed. During this angelic encounter, Daniel was silenced. He had no strength to even speak. He could hear....but couldn't speak! After the angel touched his lips, he was able to interact with the angelic being. The angel had to touch him again in order for strength to return to Daniel to breathe, let alone speak.
Daniel 10:14-21
14 Now I have come here to give you another vision about what will happen to your people in the future.15 While this angel was speaking to me, I stared at the ground, speechless. 16 Then he appeared in human form and touched my lips. I said, “Sir, this vision has brought me great pain and has drained my strength. 17 I am merely your servant. How can I possibly speak with someone so powerful, when I am almost too weak to get my breath?”
18-19 The angel touched me a second time and said, “Don’t be frightened! God thinks highly of you, and he intends this for your good, so be brave and strong.” At this, I regained my strength and replied, “Please speak! You have already made me feel much better.” 20 Then the angel said: Now do you understand why I have come? Soon I must leave to fight against the guardian angel of Persia. Then after I have defeated him, the guardian angel of Greece will attack me. 21 I will tell you what is written in The Book of Truth. But first, you must realize that no one except Michael, the guardian angel of Israel, is on my side.
The angel came with scrolls of destiny. He came to reveal to Daniel the deep mysteries of God. Daniel had emptied himself out for three weeks of fasting and prayer...That's when he had a heavenly visitation. Can you imagine this all taking place. It's incredible. Read verse 20 again....The angel came to give Daniel a Scroll of Truth (Psalm 40:7) The Book of Truth. The angel told Daniel that he had to go fight against the guardian angel of Persia again.(There is no one who strengthens me against these princes, except Michael your prince.) Another version says, " No one has the courage to support me against them except Michael." Daniel 10:21. The angel gives Daniel a bit of a warning...After I leave you to go fight the Prince of Persia, the Prince of Greece will come. Another version says 'the head of Javan' will come.
This is a very clear picture that answered prayer always comes with a contention. Even after an angelic encounter, there will be resistance. However, God will send the necessary reinforcements to bring forth the Scripture/Book/Scroll of Truth.
Psalm 46:10 - “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's. (2 Chronicles 20:15)
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