Angels in Our Midst

 // Kenneth E. Hagin

In teaching me about angels, the Lord pointed out the scripture, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Heb. 1:14). I always thought this verse said, “minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation.” But it says, “minister for them.” The word “minister” used here carries the thought of waiting on or serving. For instance, when you go into a restaurant, a waitress “ministers” to you by waiting on or serving you. In other words, she waits for your order.

Angels are ministering spirits who are sent to minister, not just to one, but for all who are heirs of salvation. Someone might ask, “Why haven’t they done anything?” Because they are waiting for you to give them the order, just as a waitress cannot do anything for you until you give her the order!

In August of 1963, the Lord appeared to me and began talking to me about my ministry. An angel stood about three feet behind Him. Every time I looked at the angel he looked back at me as if he were about to say something. But then I would look back to Jesus and the angel wouldn’t say anything. Finally I said to the Lord, “Who is this angel and what does he represent?”

“That’s your angel,” He replied.

“My angel!”

“Yes, don’t you know, it is written in My Word where I said to My disciples, ‘Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt.19:14). Then in another place I said, ‘[For] their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven’ (Matt. 18:10). You don’t lose your angel just because you grow up,” Jesus said.

Think about it. Why would we lose our angel just because we grow up?

“But Lord,” I said, “You are here. Why can’t You deliver the message?”

I wanted to be scriptural. We receive guidance from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. I wasn’t sure about an angel giving me a message.

Jesus reminded me of when the angel of the Lord awakened Peter when he was in jail, and in answer to prayer, led him out of jail. And the times when the angel of the Lord appeared to others like Philip and Paul to give them direction and a message from God.

I repented for my ignorance. I thought I was being a stickler for the Word. I think many times dear people have been defeated by thinking they were sticklers for the Word, when they were really just being sticklers for what they thought the Word said. The Word may have more to say on some subjects than they realized.

If we’re not careful, we can get so conscious of obeying the letter of the Word that we miss the Spirit of the Word and shut the door on God and on the move of the Holy Spirit.

From that day, I learned to order my ministering spirits to go and minister for me—an heir of salvation—and cause finances or whatever I needed to come, in Jesus’ Name.

Believers aren’t to pray and seek for angels to appear to them; the devil might accommodate them. The Bible says, “For Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14). Just stay faithful to God. If He sees fit, a believer may have a divinely granted appearance. If He doesn’t, that’s fine too. God is the One Who grants these things as He wills.

[Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Kenneth E. Hagin’s book I Believe in Visions.]