Prayer: God’s warfare

A glimpse of Daniel’s prayer life raises important questions for our own

We are not alone in the universe. No, our space explorers have not finally discovered another inhabited planet…

It’s the Bible… if we take it seriously, the dramas and headlines of history are simultaneously played out on two stages – one the tangible world of men and women, the other, the invisible realm of God, angels and demons. “For,”said one apostle, “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places”.Peter spoke of “your enemy the devil”. James commanded: “submit yourselves to God, resist the devil”.Jesus, the greatest intellect ever to walk the planet, resisted the devil, rebuked him, cast out demons and had at his disposal “twelve legions of angels”. And Daniel’s prayer life was an unwitting interface with this strange, invisible reality.