The enemy doesn’t always come roaring. Sometimes he comes creeping. And when it comes to delay, the enemy often slithers in subtly—clouding timelines, clogging momentum, and constricting progress until we forget what it feels like to move forward.

I’m convinced: one of Satan’s most overlooked strategies is spiritual delay.

The Word says in Daniel 10:13 that the angel sent to bring Daniel’s answer was resisted for 21 days by the prince of Persia. Let that sink in. The delay didn’t mean God didn’t hear Daniel. It didn’t mean the prayer wasn’t answered. It simply meant there was a spiritual opposition interfering with the delivery.

This is how many of you feel right now.

You’ve fasted. You’ve prayed. You’ve warred. But still—you’re stuck.
The promises haven’t manifested. The breakthrough hasn’t broken through. The doors haven’t swung open. And the hope that once burned bright is now flickering under the weight of delay.

Let me tell you plainly: there is a spirit of delay, and it must be exposed and expelled.

What Is the Spirit of Delay?

The spirit of delay is a demonic assignment designed to hinder divine timing, frustrate prophetic purpose, and wear out the saints of God. It masquerades as “waiting on the Lord,” but it’s not the Lord that’s holding back—it’s the enemy that’s holding up.

Sometimes we spiritualize delay because we don’t want to confront the warfare attached to our assignment. But you can’t cast out what you tolerate. You can’t overcome what you won’t acknowledge.

This spirit shows up in many ways:

• Missed deadlines and canceled opportunities
• Endless postponements in key areas of destiny
• Constant cycles of “almost but not quite”
• Unexplainable slowdowns in finances, relationships, ministry, or healing

If you don’t discern it, you’ll start blaming God for what the devil is doing.

The Fruit of Delay

The spirit of delay doesn’t just cost you time—it saps your strength. It breeds:

• Frustration — You start questioning your call.
• Weariness — You begin to faint in the waiting.
• Bitterness — You become angry with people, yourself, even God.
• Compromise — You start settling for Ishmael instead of waiting for Isaac.

Let me be clear: delay is a spirit that partners with distraction, discouragement, and doubt to dismantle your faith.

But today, we expose it.
Today, we stand in the authority of Christ and say: Enough is enough.

Prayers That Pierce Delay

We’re not called to passively accept resistance—we’re called to overthrow it. Jesus gave us authority over all the power of the enemy. That includes the spirit of delay.

So let’s pray: Father, in the name of Jesus, I expose every hidden work of the spirit of delay in my life. I command every demonic assignment causing obstruction, hesitation, and postponement to break right now. I speak acceleration over every prophetic promise, and I align my life with Your perfect timing. I decree: what has been held up will now be released! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The first step to freedom is exposure. What you don’t see can bind you. But what you shine the light on can no longer hide in the shadows.

This is just the beginning.

If you’re ready to go deeper into discerning and dismantling hindering spirits—including delay, distraction, slumber, fear, and more—then I invite you to equip yourself for war.

Visit schoolofthespirit.tv/courses/hinderingspirits to dive into the full training on how to break through the enemy’s roadblocks and walk in sustained victory.

It’s time to confront what’s been confronting you. Delay has lost its grip. Now move forward in Jesus’ name.

Pray with me: