21 Days Faithful Daniel 10

Daniel 10

Opening Connector Story

In 2003, Aron Ralston went hiking alone in the Utah canyons. A boulder shifted and pinned his right arm. For five days he was trapped — little food, little water, no way out. Most people would have given up. But Ralston refused to surrender. On the sixth day, he did the unthinkable: he amputated his own arm with a pocketknife, freed himself, and hiked several miles until he found help.

Ralston’s story shows what trust and determination can do when everything is against you. He believed life was worth fighting for. In the same way, Daniel shows us what trusting God looks like when everything seems against you. He prayed faithfully for 21 days, fasting, mourning, and waiting — never giving up though the answer was delayed.

Transition: With that story in mind, let’s step into Daniel 10 and see how Daniel models faithfulness in prayer and endurance during spiritual struggle.

1. The Setting: In the Reign of Cyrus (Dan. 10:1)

Daniel 10:1 “1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision.”

Daniel received this vision in the third year of Cyrus (c. 536 B.C.). Cyrus was the Persian king who allowed the Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1–4).

But according to Esther, Ezra, and Nehemiah, many Jews did not go back. Others who did return soon fell into “unlawful” acts against the Law (Ezra 9–10; Neh. 13). So although the decree of return was given, the people were not spiritually restored.

This vision connects to Daniel’s earlier visions about the end times (ch. 7–9). Chapters 11–12 will give the details, but even here in chapter 10 we see Daniel’s distress over both his people’s condition and the revelations of the future.

Transition: And it wasn’t just the history of Israel weighing on Daniel. What he actually saw in the vision was almost unbearable.

2. The Weight of the Vision (10:1–9)

Daniel 10:1–9 “1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. 2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. 4 On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) 5 I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. 6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. 7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. 8 So I was left alone and saw this great vision, and no strength was left in me. My radiant appearance was fearfully changed, and I retained no strength. 9 Then I heard the sound of his words, and as I heard the sound of his words, I fell on my face in deep sleep with my face to the ground.”

Daniel saw “a great conflict” — horrendous, terrifying, and perplexing. The vision left him weak, trembling, and speechless.

But Daniel did not condemn God or turn away from Him. He turned to God and stayed turned toward Him, even when the vision was frightening and the answer delayed. He trusted the Lord so much that he kept seeking Him through prayer.

Illustration: Like long-distance runners who don’t stop when their bodies scream with pain, Daniel pressed through spiritual exhaustion to finish faithfully (Heb. 12:1). Endurance is the mark of true trust.

Transition: How did Daniel respond to this weight? Not by running away, but by pressing deeper into prayer.

3. Daniel’s Endurance in Prayer (10:2–3, 10–14)

Daniel 10:2–3 “2 In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. 3 I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks.”

Daniel prayed fervently and fasted for 21 days, imploring God for understanding. He didn’t waver but endured through the whole time — and likely would have continued if the angel had been further delayed.

Daniel 10:10–14 “10 And behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you.” And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood up trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. 13 The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia, 14 and came to make you understand what is to happen to your people in the latter days. For the vision is for days yet to come.””

The angel explained that Daniel’s prayer was heard from the first day, but demonic resistance (“the prince of Persia”) hindered the answer until Michael came to help.

This shows us:

Committed Prayer — Daniel set his heart to seek God.

Faithful Endurance — He pressed on through weakness, mourning, and silence (Gal. 6:9).

Spiritual Warfare — Prayer takes place in a battlefield we cannot see (Eph. 6:12).

Illustration: The enemy is like pirates who slip silently into a harbor at night. By the time the crew wakes, the ship is plundered. If we deny the reality of spiritual warfare, we are already deceived and robbed (1 Pet. 5:8).

Illustration: The Wolves and the Battle Without

I just used the picture of pirates sneaking into a harbor to plunder a ship — unseen but destructive. Another way people have tried to explain this kind of conflict is with the story of two wolves fighting for control inside a person. Let’s think about that for a moment.

Some people say there is a battle inside us between two wolves. One is dark and evil and foreboding, and the other is light, good, and faithful. They say whichever wolf you feed most wins.

That sounds good, but it’s not quite accurate. The Bible shows us something deeper:

When we were lost, we only had the dark wolf.

In salvation, we are given the Spirit of God — the light within us.

But the dark wolf is still out there, clawing at the door, trying to rip into us (1 Pet. 5:8).

The power of the Spirit in us wars against the enemy without. If we start looking toward the darkness, it gains ground. But if we stay connected to the Spirit of light within, we overcome the darkness without (Gal. 5:16–17; Eph. 6:10–12).

Application: Are you staying faithful in prayer and trust, like Daniel, so that you overcome the darkness pressing against your soul? Or are you giving the enemy ground by drifting from the One who already secured the victory?

Transition: That brings this home for us. If Daniel felt the weight of this unseen battle, shouldn’t we expect the same in our daily walk?

Personal Reflection: Mondays and Spiritual Struggle

Mondays are always hard days for me. Lately, they seem harder than normal. It’s not because Monday is the first day of the work week — I’m a pastor, so my rhythm is different. I know the reason is spiritual struggle. That’s why this reading and study of Daniel 10 is so pertinent for today.

Daniel prayed and fasted for twenty-one days, waiting on an answer from the Lord. The angel bringing the message was delayed because of demonic resistance. The demonic realm does not want us to have joy, peace, or excitement. They want us discouraged, drained, and defeated.

But Daniel’s example shows us how we should live despite the struggles. He didn’t accuse God or walk away from Him during the silence. He pressed in with faithful endurance. His posture reminds us that even when the unseen battle rages and answers are delayed, God hears us from the first moment we pray (Phil. 4:6–7).

4. Daniel’s Trust in God Amid Silence

Daniel did not give up or condemn God for what he saw or for the long delay. He trusted the Lord fully and continued to seek Him.

This shows that faith is not proven by whether we feel troubled, but by whether we cling to God in the trouble. Daniel challenges us: are we as faithful as he was when our prayers are delayed and the struggle is real?

Daniel trusted God, but still struggled with what he knew. He had confusion and fear. He was weakened by what was revealed. He was deeply disturbed.

Are we as disturbed with what we know or do we go about with apathy toward what is happening amongst our people: the church and fellow Americans also?

Are we as disturbed for what is coming in the future for those who have rejected Christ and live as if there is nothing beyond this life? Are we?

Many in the church live in apathy saying things like “If it doesn’t hurt me, I don’t care what someone does.” Or, “Who am I to tell people what they do is wrong and sinful, isn’t that judging?”

Apathy reigns in the church today and people need to and can get out and make change happen.

Yes, there are demonic forces set over areas by the God of this world: Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4 “4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” ).

Yes, they have immense power, far more than any human, as seen in the struggle between the prince of Persia and Gabriel. Yes, they cause extreme difficulties, but we have the Holy Spirit in us. The Spirit of God, and the angels of God working for us as ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14 “14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?” ).

We have an army that is far more powerful than any demonic force.

Transition: So what does Daniel’s example mean for us today? Let’s bring it down to four life applications.

Life Applications

Trust God Even in Delay — God hears prayer from the first moment, even if the answer is delayed (Luke 18:1[the persistent widow]; Gal. 6:9 [don’t become weary, we reap what we sow]).

Recognize the Battle — Spiritual warfare is real. If we pretend otherwise, we are already deceived and plundered (Ephesians 6:12 “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” ; 1 Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” ).

Commit to Continuous Prayer — Answers may take time, but our posture must be to never stop seeking God (1 Thessalonians 5:17 “17 pray without ceasing,” ).

Victory is Found in Endurance — Daniel’s victory wasn’t just in receiving the answer but in his faithfulness during the wait (Hebrews 4:16 “16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” ).

Closing Illustration

There’s a story of Florence Chadwick, the first woman to attempt swimming from Catalina Island to the California coast in 1952. After 15 hours in the water, fog set in. She couldn’t see the shore, and exhausted, she gave up — only to discover she was less than a mile away.

Two months later, she tried again. This time the same fog rolled in, but she kept swimming. When asked how she made it, she said, “I kept a picture in my mind of the shoreline. I never lost sight of where I was going.”

Closing Thought: Daniel never lost sight of his God. For 21 days he prayed faithfully, not because he saw the shoreline, but because he trusted the One who promised it was there. And the same God who heard Daniel hears us.

So whether it’s a Monday struggle, a delayed answer, or a battle we cannot see, we must be 21 Days Faithful — never giving up, always seeking, always trusting.