Emilie’s transition back to Kaiser Anaheim was relatively smooth. Upon returning she encountered a few bumps in the road related to her breathing. She was accustomed to the pressure control ventilator settings (SIMV) used at Kaiser Sunset; however, Anaheim uses a volume control ventilator (PRVC). This switch took Emilie a few days to adjust to, however she has now stabilized.

The fluid on her brain has also gone down substantially. The doctors are only tapping the reservoir for 10ML every other day. This is a great improvement that we praise God for!

The doctors believe Emilie has demonstrated seizure like movements. This would be consistent with the pressure that is on her brain due to the excess fluid. Despite this report, Holly and I still praise the Lord because we are walking this journey by faith and not by sight. Yet the question still arises, if we believe God has healed her (Mark 11:24) why is she experiencing seizures?

The Delay

The Bible records in Daniel chapter 10 that on one occasion Daniel was in need of divine understanding concerning things to come. So he set his heart and mind to prayerfully seek for understanding, but 21 days later, no understanding had come.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and said, “Daniel, since the first day you prayed for understanding, God heard you and sent me to respond. However the enemy has hindered me for 21 days.”

This story reveals what may be taking place when we feel our prayers go unanswered. It’s possible that what we classify as “unanswered prayer” is actually the delayed manifestation of an “answered prayer” due to spiritual conflict (Ephesians 6:12). So while God commissioned an angel as an answer to his prayer in the spiritual realm, the conflict which ensued prevented Daniel from experiencing the answer in the physical realm. I can imagine that Daniel, like many of us, was tempted to believe that because he saw no immediate answer to his prayer it must not have been God’s will.

Yet a behind the scenes look reveals that it was in fact God’s will to grant his petition, and that He indeed answered his prayer the very day he prayed it. The 21 day delay had nothing to do with the willingness of God nor the faithfulness of Daniel, but it was the direct result of Satan hindering the commissioned angel.

In life we often feel that because we have not experienced the answer to our prayer, God either did not hear us or it must not be His will. We are then tempted to grow discouraged and lose faith in God as our Jehovah Provider. However Daniel teaches us that what we may think is unanswered prayer could merely be a delay due to demonic interference. As a result we cannot lose heart, but we must continually press our petitions to His throne. By faith we must give thanks for what we believe He has done and what we will experience. And we must know that when we pray, He ALWAYS hears and He ALWAYS answers.

Before you call I will answer; and while you are yet speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)