Keep Prayin’; Don’t Quit
Well, mercy me, Butterbean, why don’t you jus’ pull up a comfy rocker and git yourself settled in real good like a fat ol’ raccoon a‑loungin’ ‘round after raidin’ through the trash cans in my neighbor’s backyard ‘cause we’re ‘bout to do some o’ that there peekin’ behind the heavenly curtain with Daniel. And let me be ‘a-tellin’ you that this here story in Daniel 10:12-13 is wilder than a rooster ‘a-ridin’ a unicycle through the henhouse.
Daniel was a prayin’ man. Not the “Lord, bless this casserole” kind of prayin’, but the kind that done shaped his whole day. He done prayed even when it could’ve been ‘a-costin’ him his hide. And Buttercup, that right there reminds me of Luke 18:1, where Jesus said, “We ought to always be ‘a-prayin’ and never be givin’ up.” Daniel lived that out better than a woodpecker a‑tappin’ on a steel telephone pole.
In Daniel 10:12-13, an angel done showed up one day and said, “Daniel, do not be afraid. From the first day you prayed, Heaven heard you.” Now that right there oughta’ make you be ‘a-shoutin’ louder than a goat stuck in a fence. But then the angel added, “I would have been here sooner, but I got held up for twenty one days by the spirit prince of Persia.” In other words, Buttercup, spiritual warfare done broke out like two tom turkeys ‘a-fightin’ over the same patch of dirt. It done got so rough that Michael, the archangel, had to tag in. You know it’s gottin’ doggone serious when God sends in ol’ Michael. He is like the heavenly head honcho with big ol’ muscles made of glory.
Now this here doesn’t mean every one o’ our prayers done gets stuck in traffic behind a mean demon blockade. Daniel was a-bein’ a key player in a mighty important season. The enemy done knowed Daniel’s prayers were powerful enough to rattle his dark little kingdom, so he done tried real hard to jam up the heavenly mail system.
And that there is worth rememberin’ when your prayers seem slower than molasses in January. Delays are not always denials. Sometimes there is a whole lot ‘a-goin’ on in the unseen world that we can’t be ‘a-seein’. Jesus done told us to keep askin’, keep seekin’, keep knockin’. He never said, “Ask once and pout if it takes too long.”
Maybe you have been ‘a-prayin’ for someone to come to know the Lord. Maybe you are ‘a-askin’ for some healin’. Maybe you are beggin’ God to open a door that feels nailed real shut. Don’t be ‘a-quittin’. Don’ be foldin’. Don’t go ‘a-wanderin’ off like a distracted lil’ ol’ raccoon. Keep on ‘a-prayin’. Heaven done heard you the first day.
Father, I be a‑thankin’ You that You done hear us the moment we are ‘a-callin’. Help us stay faithful, patient, and persistent, even when we can’t see what You are ‘a-doin’. Strengthen us to keep prayin’ and keep trustin’. In Jesus name, Amen.
Now go on out there, Junebug, and keep on prayin’ with the determination of a bullfrog ‘a‑croakin’ his lil’ ol’ heart out on a foggy pond. You may not be ‘a-seein’ the answer yet, but Heaven is already a‑workin’ on your behalf. So, keep on ‘a-keepin’ on liftin’ up those prayers!
With joy,
Gwen
