Hello,
I touched upon this in my recent prayer request, so I am making this up for discussion. The bible does not explicitly teach veneration of angels, but they are mentioned and they are considered powerful. When I struggled with the devil (he really visited me a few awful times), St Michael was a big hope of mine as I felt Jesus would want me to call on him and receive angelic help. It was very much needed because one night the devil came and made me very afraid because he tested my faith in Christ together with painful assaults on my soul so I could not get into my normal positive faith. That's when I called on Michael and he quickly came to me and spoke to me about peace and serenity and that the devil can always just assail you for a time. I've prayed to Jesus too and he has more power than Michael, but Michael was a help and servant of God so it was right that I called on him because helping against the devil is one of Michael's duties. Paul wrote that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. And some scriptures speak of Gabriel and Michael being angelic princes. I also saw a huge angel in the hospital once who bowed down to me and told me to go to my pastor when I had the most serious trouble with satan and demons.
Let me tell you, I do not worship saints or angels, but getting some help from them is amazing. There is a whole society of angels up there and they are kind and deep folks. They pray to God to be able to help and have many mystical and miraculous powers at their disposal. The joy in angels is deep and Paul argued once that they mingle with men and unknowingly they may have been our guests sometimes.
Over my lifetime, I had much exposure to the belief of angels, and to the praying to saints.
What I have come to believe, at this point in time, is that we are to ask God for assistance, and He will send it, in all different ways, but in His plan and in His time. So, I ask God directly, and welcome who He sends....or, at least that is always my intent. Hopefully I do discern and know what and who is from God.
So, I keep praying to God and asking, and I let Him decide what I need. I find He knows a lot better than I do, what I need and whom I need.
D.
I couldn't agree with you more Dandelion ..... I find it amazing the different ways He uses to teach us and that each way is specific to the way He made us as an individual.
For me an angel is a thought sent to my mind through my heart of love which He made ..... but if I say to AN that that is how it is to be understood, then I take away from how God is teaching him ..... but also that just because I do not have angels coming to me literally, I should not feel less important.
This is why we can have fellowship with one another, we (unlike religion can sometimes do) don't take our experience and turn it into a doctrine saying "if it doesn't happen this way, it is not of God" ..... besides, I don't know if I could even handle seeing angels literally.
We are ALL His workmanship, He designed each and everyone of us, I love hearing how the Lord works in others, but again it should in no way make any of us feel more important or less important than another, for we are of one body, different members but none more or less important than another.
Bless you both and His work will continue in us all
I guess I should add that I no longer pray to saints, but only to God. And, though I believe angels exist, I really don't know if or when they would have an impact on our life here, but, I can see in the Bible that in select times, they did have a role in human situations. So, I leave that question open, and focus on God.
D.
It's an interesting topic. I have a good friend who thinks a lot about angel's and yes even asks for their help, though not as much any more, I think, but she mentions the Lord more.. :dunno:
I sometimes think I should more often than I ever do, request the Lord to send angel's for aide..
:gsmile: