Persistent Prayer Keeps Seeking Until God Answers

There are times when you pray and you want an answer from God, but nothing seems to move. What do you do then? You do not treat prayer lightly. You humble yourself, stay before God, and keep seeking Him until you have the understanding you came for.

What should I do when I am waiting for God to answer?

Keep praying and keep seeking God instead of giving up after a few days. Daniel made a decision that he was going to hear from God, and that decision shaped what he did for three weeks.

I told the church that some people pray for two days and are already ready to give up. Daniel did not do that. He was seeking understanding about what was going to happen, and he stayed with that prayer.

Daniel 10:12 says, “Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven and I have come to answer your prayer.”

Notice that the request was heard from the first day. The waiting did not mean God had ignored him. Daniel kept himself before God until the answer came.

That is the posture I want you to see. If you are truly seeking God for an answer, do not make prayer something casual that you drop when you do not see results right away.

Why did Daniel fast while seeking God?

Daniel fasted because he was serious about hearing from God and was willing to put his body under while he sought an answer. He described three whole weeks of mourning in which he ate no rich food, no meat or wine crossed his lips, and he used no fragrant lotion.

I told the church that when you want something from God, you have to be willing to pay the price. Too often we want the easy way. We want results, but we do not want to discipline ourselves.

Daniel’s body became weak. By the end of those three weeks, he had little physical strength. Yet he stayed there because the answer mattered to him.

I am not saying fasting is unimportant now. I said plainly that you should fast and that there is nothing wrong with fasting. The point is that Daniel was not playing with his prayer. He humbled himself and sought God seriously.

Ask yourself what your own posture looks like. Are you willing to put aside comfort so you can seek God? Or do you stop as soon as prayer becomes inconvenient?

Should I pray one specific prayer?

Yes, there are times when you need to bring one clear, specific request before God and stay focused on it. I pointed out that the message to Daniel spoke about his “prayer,” not “prayers.”

Daniel wanted understanding. He wanted to know what was going to happen, and he stayed before God concerning that request.

I asked the church, “Do you have one specific prayer that you’re waiting on God for?” That is a question worth sitting with.

Sometimes our prayers move in many directions. But Daniel gives us a picture of a man who knew what he was seeking. He humbled himself, prayed for understanding, and stayed with it.

What is that prayer for you? What is the thing you need to bring before God with seriousness instead of only mentioning it once and moving on?

How should I seek God for answers today?

Seek God with prayer, humility, His Word, and a determination not to give up. Daniel’s example shows the seriousness of seeking, but I also reminded the church that we have Jesus and must understand what He accomplished for us.

Daniel waited 21 days while a spiritual conflict was taking place. I taught that Jesus has already defeated the principalities and powers. So I do not want you to think you must copy Daniel’s exact number of days as though 21 days itself produces an answer.

What I want you to copy is his posture. He wanted understanding. He humbled himself. He prayed. He denied himself. He remained there until he heard from God.

And keep the Word of God at the center. I said we cannot take God’s Word lightly and expect God’s results. If you want to understand what is happening, what God has said, and how you should live, you need His Word.

Do not be a person who seeks God only when it is easy. Pray with purpose. Humble yourself. Fast when you are seeking Him seriously. Stay in the Word. And when you are waiting for an answer, remember what Daniel was told: heaven heard his request from the first day.