Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Lately, I have spoken to many people who express the same concern: “Pastor, I don’t believe my prayers are getting through to God.”

In Daniel Chapter 9 and 10, Daniel is seeking an answer from God regarding the future of Israel. During this time period, Israel is being held captive by the nation of Persia. Daniel begins to pray to God through fasting. After 21 days of fasting and praying, an angel appears to Daniel and says in 10:12-13, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. ¹³ But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.”

The scripture is a window for us into the spiritual world around us. A messenger angel has been sent  to bring Daniel revelation from God on day one of his fasting and praying, concerning the prophetic future of the nation of Israel. We learn that the angel was detained because he did not possess enough power or authority to break through against the powers of the dark world controlling the spiritual regions above Persia. Michael, an arche angel of the Lord, comes to overpower the forces of darkness and to open up a passage for the angel to pass through and deliver God’s message to Daniel.

Do you know you can block your own prayers? The culprit? Unforgiveness. When we harbor bitterness against someone; when we refuse to let go of the hurt and betrayal; when we insist they deserve our judgment for their actions; we are interfering with our requests of God. We are putting a glass ceiling preventing our desires to reach God.

My son Daniel loved to shoot glass bottles and jars with his pellet gun when he was younger. He’d put a few on the fence near our home and fire away. The shattering of the targeted glass thrilled him. Can you imagine how much it thrills God when we shatter the glass ceiling above us separating us from Him.

It isn’t easy to forgive. It isn’t easy to remove anger and replace it with love; but it is the key to an open relationship with God. Bitterness only hurts you. No one ever changed through the hatred of another. No one ever says, “He hated me so much that I decided to change.” People change through love and compassion. You are probably saying, “Well, he deserves my hatred and unforgiveness. I have a right to be bitter toward him!” And you probably do; but if you want to break through the walls preventing you from all that God wants to give you in your life, start with forgiveness. Remove the bitterness. Start healing, moving forward, and hearing from God.