Is the Prince of Persia causing chaos in Gaza?

Christians around the world are praying fervently for peace in the Middle East, yet the fighting continues. Are our prayers being hindered? A peculiar story from the Old Testament may help us understand what’s going on, says David Instone-Brewer

Our prayers are focussed on Israel/Palestine, but with horror after horror still continuing, it seems that they have made little impact. Daniel’s prayer for Israel and Palestine in about 535 BC seemed to have the same result – no response. As a prophet, he usually had some inside knowledge, but this time he had no idea what was going on. His ignorance on this occasion, however, resulted in a fantastic insight for us. We can peep behind the curtain to see how God answers prayer, and discover what can cause a delay.

Daniel was exiled in Babylon, along with the elite of Israel, while the ‘ordinary’ people were left behind – those dismissively called ‘people of the land’ (2Kings 24:14). Daniel set himself the task of praying for the return of the exiles to Palestine – but nothing happened. I’m sure he wasn’t expecting an immediate announcement that every Jew could pack up and leave for home, but as a prophet, he did expect some kind of feedback – a situation report or an indication that he’d got it all wrong and should stop praying – but he heard nothing.