Hail Marys and Heavenly Warfare: A Faith Reflection for the Trinity Newsletter.

I was in jail. Had been for months. I was voraciously reading everything — anything to make the hours go faster. That included the Bible. One day, I came across this passage in Daniel, and I thought… wait… what???

Daniel was praying for wisdom — big, world-changing stuff. He wanted to understand what God was doing with nations and kings. And apparently, God answered him right away. But then came this part that stopped me cold.

The angel tells Daniel, “From the first day you started praying, your words were heard — but the Prince of Persia blocked me for twenty-one days.”

Hold up. You’re telling me Daniel’s prayer got blocked? Like there are some Infernal Linebackers?

I wasn’t in Babylon when I read that. I was in jail. And I wasn’t praying for global peace or prophetic insight. I was praying for the catastrophe I’d created — to and for the people I loved most in the world — and for my own hide. I needed God to hear me now — not after some cosmic turf war in another realm.

But honestly, my prayer of desperation isn’t unique to anyone. Desperation is desperation — whether it’s a broken marriage, a scary diagnosis, a lost job, or a life that’s veered so far off course you don’t even recognize yourself anymore. Pain doesn’t need a prosecutor or judge to impose a sentence.

Desperation is desperation …

So I started wondering — does that happen to us? Do our prayers ever get caught in spiritual crossfire, or is that just Bible-story symbolism that doesn’t touch real life? Because from where I was sitting, it sure felt like my prayers were bouncing off concrete walls. That verse troubled me. I wanted to believe God heard me “from the first day,” but I couldn’t ignore the delay — the silence, the waiting, the nothing. Was something blocking my prayers, or was I just not listening?

And then there’s that line from Proverbs…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:5–6

Beautiful words — but easier said than done when all you’ve got is your own understanding. When the church volunteers are gone, your cellmates might have some theology, but they’re in the same boat — not exactly the best crew to lean on for spiritual clarity.

Things happening behind the scenes.

Even today I don’t have a tidy answer. Maybe Daniel’s story means there really are things happening behind the scenes. Or maybe it means God’s timing isn’t built around my panic. Either way, I still pray — loudly, desperately, honestly. If the Prince of Persia’s on defense, I’m still throwing prayers downfield till Heaven catches one.

Thanks for reading.