You May Have Never Seen One, But Angels Are Always Around You and May Help You More Than You Know
A Culture of Angels
When you stop and think about it, angels are surprisingly normal in our culture.
If you hear someone mention an angel during your day, you probably don’t think much about it. If someone is sweet, you may hear an adult say, “You’re such an angel.”
You’ve probably seen a cartoon where an angel sits on a character’s shoulder, encouraging the person to do something good, while the devil sits on the other shoulder, tempting them to do something bad.
When we’re young, many of us are told that we have a guardian angel. And when someone escapes a dangerous situation, it isn’t unusual for someone to say, “You must have a guardian angel.”
Angels are woven into our language, our stories, and even the way we make sense of moments we can’t quite explain.
But have you ever seen an angel? Have you ever encountered one?
Your answer is probably “no.”
But maybe the better answer is, “not that you know of.”
Think again.
What Purpose Do Angels Serve?
Scripture describes angels as carrying out many different tasks. They can bring messages, protect people, deliver someone from danger, minister to someone in need, and, on the flip side, even deliver punishment.
Their roles vary, but one thing remains consistent: they serve God and carry out His purposes.
And if angels are actively serving God, it raises an intriguing question: How often might they be at work around us without our realizing it?
Certain people who claim to be able to see the spirit realm say they see angels everywhere.
Blake Healy is one such person. If you read his books or watch him speak, you will hear him say that everyone has a personal angel who remains with them from the day they are conceived to the day they die. He says he sees them interacting with people throughout the day—encouraging them when they are down, calming them when they are angry, and helping in ways the person may never consciously recognize.
And he isn’t the only one who tells stories like these.
Many ordinary people claim to have seen or encountered angels. I have a friend who can see them. It was a gift given to him in his mid-forties. On a bus in a city one day, he looked up and saw a massive angel standing beside a skyscraper… a guardian over the building. And that was the start of an amazing journey with angels. When I would meet him for lunch he would share with me what he could see – an indication of what God was going in the area.
But I too have experience them, though not as visually.
My First Experience with an Angel
The first time I believe I encountered an angel was at a time when I was far from God.
It happened when I was in bed, lying on my side in agony, wanting desperately to break free from what I can best describe as an invisible prison.
I needed help, the kind of help I could not give myself, and I didn’t know what to do.
I am not entirely sure why I said what I did, but in my head I cried out:
“Jesus, please send an angel to take this pain from me!”
Instantly, and I mean instantly, I felt a presence behind me.
My eyes opened wide. Every part of me became alert. I had the unmistakable sense that someone was standing behind me.
Then I felt it… warmth.
It started at my back and spread forward, throughout my body; a deep, enveloping warmth that seemed to carry the pain away with it.
Once it filled me, the presence left.
The agony was gone, and I was at peace.
I don’t believe an angel would necessarily appear every time I asked for one. But at a critical moment in my journey, when I desperately needed help, I believe God sent one.
That experience changed the way I think about the unseen world.
How Do Angels Fit Into the World?
Scripture makes clear that angels are not to be worshiped, so we do not pray to angels. God created angels as spiritual beings who serve Him. And in serving God, they are also described as ministering to those who will inherit salvation.
In other words, the focus is never supposed to be on the angel. The focus is on the God who sends them.
I believe that no matter who you are, no matter where you are, and perhaps even when you feel completely alone, you may not be as alone as you think. There may be an angel nearby—a protective friend serving God in ways you cannot see.
My angel is reminding me of his presence even as I write this. At least, that is what I believe I am sensing in the familiar feeling around the back of my neck and head.
When you seek a relationship with God and become more aware of His kingdom, you may begin to notice things you once overlooked; including the possibility that God’s help sometimes arrives through messengers you cannot see.
Maybe the question isn’t simply, “Have I ever seen an angel?”
Maybe the better questions are: How many times have I been protected and never known it? How many moments of comfort, warning, strength, or unexpected peace have come from a source beyond what I could see? How often has heaven been closer than I realized?
You may go your entire life without seeing wings, a glowing figure, or anything you would immediately recognize as an angel.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve never encountered one.
Perhaps some of God’s greatest acts of protection happen quietly, just outside the range of our natural sight. And one day, if we have accepted Christ as our Lord, we will discover just how many times we were never as alone as we thought.
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Supporting Scripture:
Luke 1:19 – The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
Matthew 18:10 – “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Psalm 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Daniel 10:18 – Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength.
Hebrews 1:14 – Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
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