Daniel is generally known among Bible scholars as a man of visions. But he was actually a man of prayer. All his visions and interpretation of dreams were a direct answer to his prayers. 
He was generally a busy man being in the top most position that anybody can imagine. But this did not stop him in his prayer life. He found time for communing with God in prayer. How is our daily schedule? Are we in a position which allows us to commune with God?

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As a youngster he and his friends were brought to the land of Babylon and they faithfully remained there.  Dan.1:6 [NKJV]:  Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Even in a foreign land fully surrounded with pagan practices they remained loyal to the God of their forefathers. They served God, by obediently serving the Kings in Persian kingdom from time to time. 

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Daniel was especially favored by heaven and great revelations about the political kingdoms that would rise and fall were revealed to him. Dan 10:11 [NKJV]:  And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. This is a great eye-opener to all who study the scriptures. 

But all through his life, he disciplined himself to pray at dedicated times. Dan 6:10 [NKJV]  Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. This practice has aroused the powers hell to throw him in lion’s den as we read in chapter 6. The powers of hell wanted to stop the praying saint. So they tried all their methods to destroy him. But God of heaven protected him and he continued in his prayer. 

In today’s reading we have another incident where Daniel had declared a special time of prayer by avoiding normal foods. His prayer was immediately heard in heaven and an angel was sent with the answer of prayer. But this angel was stopped in his way by the prince of Persia for 21 days. Later he was released after Michael the arch angel came to assist him. As we read in Eph 6:12 [NKJV]:  For 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. Our prayers move heavenly forces. That is the way God has ordained it. We might sometimes feel very insignificant but even our feeblest prayer makes quick responses in the spirit realm. Here in this case the forces of hell were blocking the answers to reach Daniel. But Daniel persisted till he had his answers. This is one reason why we need to persevere in prayer until the right answers comes to us from heaven.

Even the fiercest enemy so powerful was defeated by a praying saint. Daniel was persevering in prayer till he had his vision from God. Hence let us be encouraged in our prayer life, sometimes there can be unseen forces stopping the answers to our prayers. Let us persevere so that we can get answers to our prayers. 

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, help me to persevere

in my prayer life so that I will ultimately receive my answers.