There is a reason we fast for twenty-one days in January and not for thirty, or for a week, or for however long feels right. The number comes from a single conversation in the book of Daniel, and it answers a question almost everyone who prays for very long eventually has to ask.
Why does it sometimes take so long?
The teaching on this page is Marilyn Hickey's, from Believe Big, in her own words. The few lines we add only connect them.
Never, never, never give up
Before Daniel, look at a woman who had nothing going for her. In Matthew 15, a Canaanite mother came to Jesus about her daughter. First she got silence. Then the disciples tried to send her away. Then came a discouraging word about children and dogs. She did not leave, and Jesus called it great faith!
Often, when times seem the darkest and our prayers are unanswered, we want to give up. People might think we’re foolish to keep praying and believing when we aren’t seeing results. Some might even blame us for the situation, believing that if we had done things their way, everything would be all right. Don’t take the criticism to heart. Great faith never, never, never gives up!
And here is how it looks from the inside:
When I first read this story, I almost couldn’t believe it! How could our gracious and loving God have ignored such a desperate cry for help? This woman wasn’t even asking for herself, but for her daughter. She was unselfish, respectful, and full of faith. Still, Jesus ignored her! Sometimes, we may feel that God is treating us the same way. We plead, “Lord, you know how much I need this. I’ve come to you in complete faith. I’m not even asking this for myself. Why aren’t you answering me?” The Canaanite woman surely felt discouraged, but—she never gave up!
Notice this woman didn’t simply accept rejection and go away angry or defeated. That’s exactly what most of us would have done. Instead, she got even closer to Jesus. She knelt before Him, worshiped Him, and asked Him again, “Lord, help me!
Rejected, and she moved closer! That is the whole instruction for the middle of a fast. When the answer is slow, do not back away. Get closer.
Two years of nothing, then twenty-one days
Now look at Daniel: a man of prayer with a track record, used to getting answers, hitting silence.
Remember Daniel? He was burdened for his people. Two years had passed since the first group of Jews returned to Jerusalem. Daniel must have known his people were being harassed by their enemies. I think he longed to understand the destiny of the Jews, so he prayed and fasted for three weeks. Daniel was a man of prayer, accustomed to getting results! God had always answered him, given him wisdom, direction, and protection. This time Daniel prayed non-stop for three weeks. He was starting to ask, “How long, Lord?” Finally, the answer came! Notice that he didn’t stop praying until He heard from God.
And when the answer finally came, it came with a detail that changes everything about waiting. Do not miss this!
Then behold, a hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees . . . 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.”
Daniel 10:10, 12
From the first day. Not the twenty-first. The answer left on day one.
“I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me . . .”
Daniel 10:12–13
If you are praying consistently but not getting an answer, remember—there are powers of darkness in this world. Remember, too, that you have authority over these powers. They may delay your answers, but through persistence, you can refuse to be defeated!
Delay is not denial. Say that with me: delay is not denial! The answer was sent on day one, and yours may already be on the way.
Neither of them tried to earn it
Now do not miss this part, because it is the reason the twenty-one days do not have to break you.
Too often, when we have an unanswered prayer, we think we have to try harder, or be a “better” person. Yet, looking at the Canaanite woman and blind Bartimaeus, neither of them tried to earn the right to their prayer requests. They didn’t say, “Hey Jesus, You have to do this for me because I am so good.” Look carefully at the Scriptures. Both of them asked first for mercy! They were saying, “I can’t earn this wonderful gift, Lord. I can’t pay for it. The only way my prayer can be answered is through Your mercy, Your forgiveness, Your love.
Both of them asked for mercy first. Not merit. Not effort. Not a better week. That matters when you are three weeks in and nothing has moved, because the natural instinct is to try harder, be better, clean something up so God will finally respond. That instinct is backwards, and it will wear you out. Ask for mercy!
There’s something even more important here. As soon as he received his sight, he began following Jesus. He left Jericho and traveled with Jesus. God is thrilled to answer our prayers when we respond by following Him in all we do and say.
Mercy actually defines our relationship with God! God truly wants a relationship with sinful mankind, but He must show us mercy in order for this relationship to be possible.
Our very salvation was achieved by God’s mercy for us. Mercy is so essential to salvation that Paul refers to heirs of salvation as “vessels of mercy” (Romans 9:23) and those who fail to receive salvation “vessels of wrath” (Romans 9:22). Christ’s life, death, and resurrection are God’s ultimate display of mercy toward us.
And mercy does not stop when it reaches you. It keeps moving!
When we are living in Christ, we are so overwhelmed with the gift of God’s mercy that we want to share it with everyone—and we become models of God’s mercy in this world. We become channels of His mercy to the world through giving, volunteering, and helping the needy.
If your twenty-one days produce nothing but that, they were not wasted.
Check your seed
Persistence is not the same as ignoring what might be in the way on your end. You cannot earn the answer. But faith travels through certain channels, and a blocked channel is worth clearing. Ask yourself four honest questions.
First, “Am I walking in love toward my brothers and sisters and the world around me?” Faith works by love. If your faith isn’t working, check your “love level.” Remember, Paul told us that it is not our actions that get results, but our love. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6) Check your conversation. Are your words to and about others always loving? Check your prayers. Are they just about you and what you want, or are you praying in love for those around you? Take a special look at how you treat your family and friends. Sometimes we put great effort into helping strangers and forget to treat those closest to us with love and mercy.
Next, consider whether you are harboring unforgiveness. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. (Mark 11:25) If we have unforgiveness in our hearts, our faith is hindered. If you truly want to know why your faith is not working, ask God to expose any remnants of unforgiveness.
He will, and it is usually a name you were not expecting.
Now, search your heart for jealousy or strife. Do you resent someone who has more wealth or success than you do? Are you competing with someone in your family, church, or workplace? Approach this question prayerfully, because often we cannot see our own envy and selfish ambition. Faith cannot flourish in an atmosphere of jealousy or rivalry. Root them out!
And the fourth: are you operating in fear? Fear is the opposite of faith. You can pray for something for twenty-one days while quietly expecting the worst. That is not persistence. That is fear, and fear cannot inherit a promise.
So what do you do on day twelve
You keep going! Not because persistence twists God's arm, but because Daniel's answer was already on its way and he had no way of knowing it. Yours may be too.
You ask for mercy rather than making your case. You check your seed honestly and clear what needs clearing. You keep your love level up, especially toward the people closest to you, and you refuse to let fear do your praying for you.
And you remember the thing the messenger said first, before anything about princes or delays. He said, do not be afraid, your words were heard.
They were heard on the first day. They are being heard now.
A prayer
Father, I am not asking because I have earned it. I am asking for mercy, the way the woman at Tyre asked and the way the blind man on the Jericho road asked. Show me anything in me that is in the way, and I will deal with it. Where I have been afraid while pretending to be faithful, forgive me. I am not quitting. My words were heard on the first day, and I am going to keep speaking them until I hear back.
Miracle Word Ministries fasts and prays together for twenty-one days each January, and everyone is welcome. His Word. His Power. Your Miracle.
Where this teaching comes from
The teaching on this page is quoted word for word from Marilyn Hickey's book on faith, and every quoted passage is checked against the printed pages before publishing.
- Believe Big, the chapter “Faith That Gets Prayers Answered”
- Available from Miracle Word Ministries.
Keep reading
Source: Marilyn Hickey, Believe Big, Miracle Word Ministries. The teaching on this page appears in Marilyn Hickey’s own words. © Miracle Word Ministries. Used with permission.