Did Daniel have to fast and pray for 21 days? Daniel 10

There are 3 major questions in this post. (split into more, smaller questions)

"2 In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I ate no tasty food, nor did any meat or wine enter my mouth; and I did not a]">[a]anoint (refresh, groom) myself at all for the full three weeks."


First of all, what is tasty food? What exactly did he eat? Cabbage, and carrots? What is this "Tasty" food that he avoided? ( or "choice foods" in other translations) What are the foods he DID eat? Does mixing foods together in a meal make them no longer simple foods, does that then make them "tasty" if you add spices, etc?

Let's look at the next bit. An angel comes down, and speaks to him.

"12 Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the e]">[e]prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Then, behold, Michael, one of the chief [of the celestial] princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is in regard to the days yet to come.”

His prayers were heard the first day, and an angel came in response to these words, so what did fasting, and praying for 21 days accomplish? Was it necessary?

It says he fought the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and a celestial being Michael helped him. Was he fighting satan/demons who were trying to stop him from delivering his message? WHY was an angel sent to talk to Daniel? Could God not simply answer his prayer directly? He speaks to people in the past directly, why not to Daniel?
Do angels always win when they are sent to answer prayers, and have to fight demons for 21 days?

Are angels always sent to fight demons, or was this a unique thing for Daniel? Is this the reason prayers seem like they are not always answered?
 
First of all, what is tasty food? What exactly did he eat? Cabbage, and carrots? What is this "Tasty" food that he avoided? ( or "choice foods" in other translations) What are the foods he DID eat? Does mixing foods together in a meal make them no longer simple foods, does that then make them "tasty" if you add spices, etc?


In Daniel 1:5-16 we read what was the difference between Daniel's food and the kings food. Daniel only ate vegetables and drank water. Plain and simple

The kings food was elaborate. Meat and wine and bread and what have you.

His prayers were heard the first day, and an angel came in response to these words, so what did fasting, and praying for 21 days accomplish? Was it necessary?

At this time in history the Holy Spirit had not been released to have full reign in the earth. And being that God or His angels had no legal right to be in the earth (because the authority had been given to satan by adam) a Chosen man of God full of the Holy Spirit and fully submitted to God, had to be the one to help pray (speak and ask for) the angels (ministering spirits) into the earth to be able to do what what The Holy Spirit had laid upon Daniel's heart.

Fasting was necessary, because it devotes ones flesh to be submitted to the spirit. And the spirit realm is what Daniel needed to be connected to, so that He knew what to pray and ask for.

We have to remember that at this time Jacobs ladder was how the angels entered the earth, until Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given full access.
 
There are 3 major questions in this post. (split into more, smaller questions)

"2 In those days I, Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. 3 I ate no tasty food, nor did any meat or wine enter my mouth; and I did not a]">[a]anoint (refresh, groom) myself at all for the full three weeks."


First of all, what is tasty food? What exactly did he eat? Cabbage, and carrots? What is this "Tasty" food that he avoided? ( or "choice foods" in other translations) What are the foods he DID eat? Does mixing foods together in a meal make them no longer simple foods, does that then make them "tasty" if you add spices, etc?

Let's look at the next bit. An angel comes down, and speaks to him.

"12 Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. 13 But the e]">[e]prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing in opposition to me for twenty-one days. Then, behold, Michael, one of the chief [of the celestial] princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. 14 Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision is in regard to the days yet to come.”

His prayers were heard the first day, and an angel came in response to these words, so what did fasting, and praying for 21 days accomplish? Was it necessary?

It says he fought the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and a celestial being Michael helped him. Was he fighting satan/demons who were trying to stop him from delivering his message? WHY was an angel sent to talk to Daniel? Could God not simply answer his prayer directly? He speaks to people in the past directly, why not to Daniel?
Do angels always win when they are sent to answer prayers, and have to fight demons for 21 days?

Are angels always sent to fight demons, or was this a unique thing for Daniel? Is this the reason prayers seem like they are not always answered?

My first advice to you is that if you are serious in wanting answers to your question.......post them one at a time so that they can be discussed and answered instead of posting so many at one time. When many questions are asked, the answers tend to get convoluted.

10:2......."tasty" is referred to as........Desirable. He ate no sweets or fine foods. He ate the bare necessities of life.

The deeper and true basis of intent of fasting is for spiritual connection. The purpose of Christian fasting is to seek a more intimate relationship with God while ridding your physical body of unnatural, self-gratifying food and drink. Your focus is to be on God, not on the fleshly things of the world. Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God.

Fasting is not a requirement to have your prayers answered. It is a personal choice. Nowhere, however, is there any indication that the Lord is more likely to answer prayers if they are accompanied by fasting. Rather, fasting along with prayer seems to indicate the sincerity of the people praying and the critical nature of the situations in which they find themselves.

If you notice......."in the four and twentieth day of the first month". The Passover came on the 14th day of the 1st month so that means Daniels fasting was included in the Passover which would be what the law required.

In the Old Test. angels were active and indeed fought with demons. Today we have the Holy Spirit who is on comforter.

The fact that it took 21 days and then also the help of the arch angel indicates the strength of this demon who did not want Daniel to get the answer to his prayer.
 
As far as whether Daniel had to pray for 21 days:

Whatever was _required_ was for the benefit of Daniel, nor because it took so long to get His prayers to the Lord.

The Lord knows what is in your heart and what your prayer will be before you begin. As much as when God knew this makes any sense, He knew your prayer and your circumstances when He said "Let there be light".

But for myself, although I accept in principle that God already knows my prayers, my heart only acknowledges this communication as the prayer goes through my thoughts.

A longer prayer reinforces this 'heart knowledge' and gives me a chance to hear the Lord's response by His guiding my thoughts.
 
My first advice to you is that if you are serious in wanting answers to your question.......post them one at a time so that they can be discussed and answered instead of posting so many at one time. When many questions are asked, the answers tend to get convoluted.

10:2......."tasty" is referred to as........Desirable. He ate no sweets or fine foods. He ate the bare necessities of life.

The deeper and true basis of intent of fasting is for spiritual connection. The purpose of Christian fasting is to seek a more intimate relationship with God while ridding your physical body of unnatural, self-gratifying food and drink. Your focus is to be on God, not on the fleshly things of the world. Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God.

Fasting is not a requirement to have your prayers answered. It is a personal choice. Nowhere, however, is there any indication that the Lord is more likely to answer prayers if they are accompanied by fasting. Rather, fasting along with prayer seems to indicate the sincerity of the people praying and the critical nature of the situations in which they find themselves.

If you notice......."in the four and twentieth day of the first month". The Passover came on the 14th day of the 1st month so that means Daniels fasting was included in the Passover which would be what the law required.

In the Old Test. angels were active and indeed fought with demons. Today we have the Holy Spirit who is on comforter.

The fact that it took 21 days and then also the help of the arch angel indicates the strength of this demon who did not want Daniel to get the answer to his prayer.

Amen, Major. Christian fasting is the discipline of total communion with God, releasing all the physical, thoughts and stuff that distracts us from Him, besides abstaining from food. My personal fasting with the Lord is separate from my prayer supplications. It's my whole being alone with God. Good post, Major.
God bless you and your family.
 
My first advice to you is that if you are serious in wanting answers to your question.......post them one at a time so that they can be discussed and answered instead of posting so many at one time. When many questions are asked, the answers tend to get convoluted.

10:2......."tasty" is referred to as........Desirable. He ate no sweets or fine foods. He ate the bare necessities of life.

The deeper and true basis of intent of fasting is for spiritual connection. The purpose of Christian fasting is to seek a more intimate relationship with God while ridding your physical body of unnatural, self-gratifying food and drink. Your focus is to be on God, not on the fleshly things of the world. Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God.

Fasting is not a requirement to have your prayers answered. It is a personal choice. Nowhere, however, is there any indication that the Lord is more likely to answer prayers if they are accompanied by fasting. Rather, fasting along with prayer seems to indicate the sincerity of the people praying and the critical nature of the situations in which they find themselves.

If you notice......."in the four and twentieth day of the first month". The Passover came on the 14th day of the 1st month so that means Daniels fasting was included in the Passover which would be what the law required.

In the Old Test. angels were active and indeed fought with demons. Today we have the Holy Spirit who is on comforter.

The fact that it took 21 days and then also the help of the arch angel indicates the strength of this demon who did not want Daniel to get the answer to his prayer.

Amen, Major. Christian fasting is the discipline of total communion with God, releasing all the physical, thoughts and stuff that distracts us from Him, besides abstaining from food. My personal fasting with the Lord is separate from my prayer supplications. It's my whole being alone with God. Good post, Major.
God bless you and your family.
 
Amen, Major. Christian fasting is the discipline of total communion with God, releasing all the physical, thoughts and stuff that distracts us from Him, besides abstaining from food. My personal fasting with the Lord is separate from my prayer supplications. It's my whole being alone with God. Good post, Major.
God bless you and your family.

Thank you for the kind words my brother. Anytime I may be of help to you, please ask.
 
As far as whether Daniel had to pray for 21 days:

Whatever was _required_ was for the benefit of Daniel, nor because it took so long to get His prayers to the Lord.

The Lord knows what is in your heart and what your prayer will be before you begin. As much as when God knew this makes any sense, He knew your prayer and your circumstances when He said "Let there be light".

But for myself, although I accept in principle that God already knows my prayers, my heart only acknowledges this communication as the prayer goes through my thoughts.

A longer prayer reinforces this 'heart knowledge' and gives me a chance to hear the Lord's response by His guiding my thoughts.

Agreed!

Daniel 10:12.........
"Then he continued, “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. "

Angel actually means......"Messenger".

Prayer is always answered in one of 3 ways............
1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Later.
 
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