Prayer:
Dear Father, be with me. Help me to know your will and look after me.
The popular idea of angels being women with wings is not a biblical one. (There are two records of women with wings, and in Zechariah 5 they are far from angelic. The other is in Revelation 12). The meaning of the word 'angel' is messenger. Angels appear when God wants to pass his message on the someone.
There's actually quite a lot of references. Sometimes the messengers appeared like ordinary people and the person they talked to didn't know they were angels. Sometimes they left no doubt. Luke 2 shows "and the glory of the Lord shone round about them". Sometimes they weren't sure at the time. Acts chapter 1 has "And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said ..."
The concept of not being sure is brought out in Hebrews 13; "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
This makes it very important how we answer and how we respond to others.
The idea of a messenger is 2 way. Historically a messenger would take a message and bring back a reply. Following on from this idea, angel could be taking our prayers and requests to God.
The other attribute associated with angels is that of care and protection. We read in Daniel that 2 accounts of how God who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him". Once to Daniel himself and once to his friends. The are many other examples throughout the entire Bible.
I know someone is looking after me, due to the many times something has nearly happened, and looking back I can't think of any other reason why it didn't. This is were the idea of God's personal care or angel's individual attention makes it difficult to know which. The fundamental issue is that God is looking after me somehow.
Jesus was made "a little lower than the angels", in that he could die. Yet he rose above all of them to sit at God's right hand. This option to be with him is open to all who believe and give themselves to God.
How many times can you think of where angels appeared to someone?
What form can angels take?
I'd like to hear your comments about the concept of guardian angels.