While in prayer, the Lord spoke to me prophetically that He is breaking the spirit of delayed blessings. Many people in this season have been facing some high-level hindrance, unseen resistance and unpredictable setbacks especially in the areas of receiving financial breakthrough, provision, resources and help.
One of the challenges that many of His people are facing is the spirit of delay, setback and missed opportunities. This is the season where God says that He is breaking the irregular patterns and exposing the plans of the enemy for breakthrough advancement. In addition, there are some who are encountering shattered hope, broken promises and recurring mishaps or misfortune.
The Bible says in Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” The Good News Translation renders that verse this way: “When hope is crushed, the heart is crushed, but a wish come true fills you with joy.”
This simply means that it is not the Lord who crushes our hopes or dreams so that He can break our hearts. We have to know that it’s this ancient enemy called the devil. The devil accomplishes it through an invisible force of delays and denials. I love what Galatians 5:7 says, “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?”
As believers God would not have us ignorant of the enemy’s devices, tactics, strategies and plots against us (Rom. 1:13). If you are going around in circles like a dog chasing its tail, experiencing abrupt interferences, interruptions and distractions, and time and time again feeling that you’re stuck and stagnated, that’s demonic.
Take a look at this passage of Scripture in Daniel 7:25: “He shall speak words against the Most High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and plan to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and half a time.” You can see that the devil’s whole agenda is to oppress, persecute, drain and attack the believer—speaking of you! While you may be facing some subtle setback in this season, I come to encourage you that you will weather the storm and that through patience it will work your faith and your faith will work patience in you.
Keep in mind that there are divine delays and demonic delays: A divine delay is when God says no, not yet or wait. He uses it for the purpose of divine and spiritual growth, maturity, development, and protection, and for the right season and timing. A demonic delay is when you go round and round in circles and can’t seem to break out of a particular loop. The forces of demonic delay and denial may have been forged against you.
I am reminded of the story of the prophet Daniel and the Prince of Persia in Daniel 10 where it gives a precise, clear picture of the invisible struggle between the forces of good and evil. Daniel had prayed and an angel was dispatched to bring his request from the very first day he started to pray. However, a demon referred to as the prince of Persia waylaid the angel and engaged him in intense spiritual warfare. There are demonic entities or forces that monitor particular territories and places.
In Daniel’s day these evil spirits’ mission and assignment was to delay and deny Daniel’s prayers from being answered. The enemy will do everything he can to stop your breakthrough blessings from coming to you or those you are interceding on behalf of. Think about it for a moment: How many times have you personally faced some sudden delays and even outright denials or closed doors, missed opportunities and rejections that we attribute to the making of God, when in reality, they were the making of demonic powers?
Can you imagined if Daniel stopped praying on the 15th day of his petition? He probably may not have ever received the answer to his prayer. It was his persistence in prayer that superimposed the enemy’s plans and activated the power of God for his spiritual victory over the forces projected to delay, stop or deny his breakthrough blessings.
Here’s the point: Satanic delays are solely purposed at denying you access to answers to your prayers. That’s when delays can become denials. God wants you to target the areas in your life that you are frustrated the most and partner with heaven to see your breakthrough come through in the earth (in your life). God desires to bless you, but your money and increase is not in heaven. There are no brick-and-mortar banks in heaven. All the monies you’ll ever need or want are here and now on earth.
If you’re always getting frustrated financially, then it’s time you learn how to command, decree, summon and speak to your finances and blessings to manifest, show up and call forth hidden treasures, riches stashed away in secret places that is your portion in Jesus’ name (Isa. 45:3). I decree and declare that the power of delayed blessings and demonic cycles are broken off your life today in Jesus’ name! As you do a spiritual assessment and audit, if you’re finding yourself in the same spot for long, extended periods of time, my friend, that’s not God. The forces of delay and denial are solely responsible for it. Today God wants you to muster up enough of Holy Spirit’s power to release prayer bullets against these powers of hell against your life and blessings.
One of the things I have realized in my own life is that the spirit of delayed blessings comes to hinder God’s people from ever entering his/her destiny at the appropriate or set time despite the effort and labor we put in. Moreover, believers who suffer from this pestering spirit oftentimes spend unnecessary wasted time trying to get what others normally receive rather quickly and easily. Unfortunately, for some, they work tirelessly and receive little or nothing. Or work so hard and do overtime to never get anything in return.
By the time they eventually get it, all the excitement of such achievement would have already left. As you pray today, God will shatter once and for all the yoke of this delayed spirit in your life and you shall enter a place of destiny unhindered. The apostle Paul understood who was behind the spirit of delay: “Therefore we wished to come to you—even I, Paul, once and again—but Satan hindered us” (1 Thess. 2:18). Paul discerned what he wanted to do was God’s will. However, the devil raised several oppositions and blocked Paul several times.
There are many people who are stuck at one place currently and have lost the boldness to venture out again to start their dreams because they have faced so many disappointments, setbacks, delays and unexpected blockages from the enemy. Because of this many of you have wondered if you made the right decision in the first place.
Again, it was the demonic forces of delay and denial that were at work in the unseen against you. Fight back in prayer and go on the offensive against these powers, and then move into God’s dream for your life. Daniel met demonic resistance with supernatural persistence and received his breakthrough answer and blessing in 21 days. {eoa}
Dr. Hakeem Collins is an empowerment specialist, respected prophetic voice, apostolic leader, governmental minister, life coach and sought-after conference speaker. He is known for his keen, accurate prophetic gifting and supernatural ministry. He is the author of the bestselling books Heaven Declares and Command Your Healing. He’s been featured on many television shows: Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural! The Word Network, GODTV and Cornerstone TV, just to name a few. He is host of “Prophetic Breakthrough” podcast on the Charisma Podcast Network. Follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/drhakeemcollins/ and on his website, hakeemcollinsministries.com.
Joyce Meyer 
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
