Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Angels Give Prompts
As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” (Acts 1:10-11 NLT)
You’ve probably been prompted by an angel, whether you realize it or not. More than once, in fact. Based on the number of times they appear to God’s people in the Bible, it seems angels are busy intervening in our lives, giving us the push we need in crucial moments. They may not make themselves known, but they make God’s message known. They speak to us in subtle ways but leave no doubt about what we should do.
The Book of Acts begins with a quick visit from angels. In fact, angels show up all throughout the Book of Acts. But in chapter 1, they appear as Jesus’ apostles stand staring at the sky watching the Lord ascend to Heaven. Luke describes them as “two white-robed men” (verse 10 NLT), but they were almost certainly angels.
Just before He ascended, Jesus instructed His disciples to head for Jerusalem and wait there for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. And then He gave them the Great Commission: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NLT).
The angels nudged the disciples to quit sky-gazing and start the journey to Jerusalem. There was important, world-changing work to be done. The angels’ prompt was the kick in the tunic the apostles needed. And after the angels delivered it, they exited the scene. A single encounter was all God ordered.
We find a more individual prompt seven chapters later. “As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, ‘Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza’” (Acts 8:26 NLT). Notice that the angel didn’t give Philip many details. He didn’t tell him what he was supposed to do when he got to the desert. The angel’s job was to tell Philip to go to the desert. Period. And that’s exactly what the angel did.
Philip responded to the prompt and hopped on the southbound desert road. Along the way, he encountered a visiting dignitary from Ethiopia. Philip explained a passage of Scripture from Isaiah to the Ethiopian man, led the man to faith in Jesus, and baptized him. And all this happened because Philip listened to the angel and did what God wanted him to do.
I wonder how many times an angel has prompted me. I can think of several times when I’ve felt directly led to do something, like right now. I need to go to this person and talk to them. I need to take this step of faith. I need to act on this prompt. I have no doubt that those prompts came from an angel sent by God.
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