While ministering at the Greater Chicago Church in the Oak Park area, a whole new world opened to me. Pastors Ian and Rachel Carroll had asked me to do a seminar on prayer. As I shared about God’s desire to pour out His Spirit on Chicago, the room’s atmosphere changed.
A band of angels came in, and their presence stopped everything else from happening. They were all shapes and sizes, very eager and lively. I waited for them to settle down, but they never did. Angels carry the glory of God, and the glory began to fall in the room. The glory caused an eruption of uncontrolled laughter by the attendees and myself. I call this kind of laughter “inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Pet. 1:8, NIV).
After the service ended, I asked Ian about this activity, and he said it was a regular occurrence with guest speakers. He explained to me, “These angels are on assignment for Chicago.” He further clarified that the angels would show up at these meetings activating around certain phrases related to their mission. What stirred them, he said, would be phrases such as “revival” or “outpouring” or “Chicago.”
The following morning, I woke up, and angels were all around me. They were just as excited as the night before, but I discerned we were not on the same page (1 Cor. 12:10). I knew from the Lord that I was there to put the sustaining word into this church. Greater Chicago Church needed my story and principles to aid them through future obstacles. I asked for the angels’ help to accomplish what the Lord wanted to do there.
Their presence was definitely there as I spoke that day and the next, and we were now in sync. They would get active during the right times, even provide miraculous signs, but allowed me to retain the lead.
For example, as I prayed for the group to receive an anointing to see into the spirit realm (2 Kings 6:17), one woman received even more than that! She was healed instantly of nearsightedness and no longer needed her glasses. This miracle raised the faith level of the room to receive the anointing for spiritual sight.
Some might not understand us working with and even giving some requests or direction to angels, and might call that quenching the Spirit, but it’s really connected to our priestly and kingly roles on earth (Rev. 5:10). Angels are not on their own charge. They are assigned to serve humans and not the other way around (Heb. 1:14). Angels remain mighty and powerful by nature, but we are still earth’s leaders (Ps. 115:16).
I’ve heard and read much counsel from Christian leaders to not worship angels. This, of course is good counsel. The instruction to not worship angels, however, is often misheard as “don’t work with angels” and “don’t talk to them.” Angels are not off-limits to us and we can work with them within biblical boundaries:
- You can ask the Father to send His angels. Judas had just betrayed Jesus. As the officers came to arrest Him, Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Jesus healed the man’s ear and then rebuked Peter. He said, “Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will at once give Me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53, MEV). This is one of those passages that is not direct instruction, but provides insight into things we can ask our heavenly Father.
Jesus could ask for armies of angels to assist Him if needed. If He could ask for angels, we can too. We can ask the Father to send them on assignment for things we know they already do: to protect, to fight, to guide, to provide and so on. Regardless, Jesus did not ask for the angels that day because it was not the will of His Father to be saved from the cross. Asking the Father for angels then needs to be aligned to the Word of God and the will of God.
- Angels will carry out their assignments, but the details can be negotiated. During his residency in Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot had received two angels into his home (see Gen. 19). The angels had come on assignment from God to rescue Lot and his family before He destroyed the city for its abominable wickedness. The angels gave Lot specific instructions: “Escape for your lives! Do not look behind you or stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest you be destroyed” (Gen. 19:17).
Lot had a different idea, however. “Look, this city is close enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Please, let me escape there (is it not a little one?), and my life will be saved” (Gen. 19:20). Lot understood that staying in Sodom and Gomorrah was not an option. He did perceive that his destination was negotiable, and the angels accepted Lot’s change of plans.
- You have authority to “loose” the angels. Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom of heaven, keys meaning authority. He said, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matt. 16:19). Many of us understand this to mean we are to “bind” the devil and his demons. To bind something means to “tie it up” and we accomplish that by making a specific command with our words (see Mark 11:23-24).
At the same time, Jesus also gave us the power to “loose” something. What then do we have the power to loose? We have the power to loose angels. We loose the angels the same way we bind demons, by using our words.
We are charged with making known the will of God in the presence of the angels (Eph. 3:10). Angels also listen for and obey the word of the Lord (Ps. 103:20). The word of the Lord comes from Jesus Himself in heaven, or through His church on earth in the form of a prophetic word. Our prophetic words are heard and observed by angels and will put them on assignment. We see this in the life of King David. He makes a command not only to all of creation, but also to the angels to “Praise the Lord” (Ps. 148:1-2). Jacob wrestled with the angel all night and refused to let the angel go. Jacob made his command, “I will not let you go until you bless me” (Gen. 32:26b).
During my first pregnancy, I became very ill in the middle of the night and couldn’t hold anything down. An angel appeared, and I said, “Lay your hand on my stomach and I will be healed.” The angel did exactly that and I was instantly well. Just as there are demons that afflict us with sickness (see Luke 13:10-17), there will also be angels that act as healing agents to us. At the end of the day, however, all healing comes from God, and we are to credit Him for it.
- Angels will not depart from the word of God. When working with angels, understand that they strictly uphold the word of God. To not do so would be rebellion with severe punishment (Jude 6). For example, Gabriel appeared to Zechariah the priest with a message from God. He told him he would have a son and to name him John. Zechariah did not believe the angel, and when he voiced his unbelief, Gabriel issued a temporary penalty. Zechariah could not physically speak until the birth of his son John, just as the angel foretold (see Luke 1).
Jesus exhorts us and solemnly warns us in regards to the angels. “I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9). He’s saying that if we deny Him, if we deny His word (which is the same as denying Him), the angels will not work with us.
Working with angels within biblical parameters is not the same as worshipping angels or praying to angels. They are here to help. We can now be more intentional with angels knowing we will not deny God His glory when we do. {eoa}
For the original article, visit jennifereivaz.com.
Jennifer Eivaz is a minister and international conference speaker with a heart for raising up passionate and effective prayer. She is a regular contributor to Charisma Online and The Elijah List, has taught at Bethel School of the Prophets and oversees the Seers & Prophets Institute. Jennifer lives with her husband, Ron, and their two children in Turlock, California, where she serves as executive pastor at Harvest Church.
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