Dont Let Go

I love what Jacob tells the angel in the famous story that describes them wrestling together on a riverbank: "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

What courage and determination that statement showed in Jacob! Not only was he willing to actually wrestle an angel (and an angel who may have been God himself, appearing in angelic form!), but Jacob was also committed to holding on until he finally got the blessing for which he was searching.

I think the physical wrestling that went on that day is wonderful metaphor for the spiritual wrestling that we often do in prayer with God and his angels. We want to be blessed -- and if we don't let go, that's likely to be exactly what will happen.

Immediately after Jacob makes this incredible statement to the angel, the angel gives him a new name that reflects a blessing, and says he is doing so "because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."

Whatever you're wrestling with God and the angels in prayer about, be persistent, and trust that you'll ultimately be blessed for your faith. Don't let go!

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A Ladder to Heaven

We know by faith that angels are constantly traveling between the universe's dimensions, hard at work answering prayers and fulfilling other missions. Usually, angels go from heaven to Earth and back again without us seeing them in transit. But the prophet Jacob had an amazing dream about angels who are busy ascending and descending a ladder between Earth and heaven.

I've often wished that I could visit heaven temporarily, or even just peek inside to satisfy some of my curiosity about it. But if I had access to a heavenly ladder -- or even a heavenly window -- I suspect that what I would see would leave me with more questions than answers. And just one glimpse of something so wonderful would also leave me with a longing to stay in heaven permanently, without returning to Earth to finish out my life here. That's a dilemma many people who have gone through near death experiences report struggling with when they visit heaven and discover that they must return to Earth for a while.

Honestly, as much as I'd like to visit heaven, I'm not really ready to ascend a ladder there. But what fun it is to learn from Jacob's dream about the awesome travels that angels are constantly making between heaven and Earth!

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The Greatest Angel

When is an angel not really an angel? When he's God appearing in angelic form.

That's called a a "theophany," which means God appearing to and communicating with people directly. Both the Bible and the Torah describe that happening when an angel called the "Angel of the Lord" appears.

The new profile "Meet the Angel of the Lord" describes this greatest angel of all.

This month, I'll be featuring lots of new articles about the Angel of the Lord, and I've just posted them on the site. I'll be blogging about them individually but wanted to let you know that the series is up for you to check out now. Hope you enjoy!

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Energy All Around

The concept of matching different kinds of crystal rocks (which can store and amplify electromagnetic energy) to certain types of angels (whose energy vibrates at the same frequencies) is a fascinating idea.

At first, it's hard to imagine that energy really goes back and forth between angels and crystals in precise and powerful ways, because we can't actually see it happening. But neither can we see many other kinds of energy that moves through the air around us: from cell phone and TV broadcasting signals, to sound waves and microwaves.

Energy is all around us, constantly at work -- and most of the time we don't see it with our physical eyes. When we consider that, it's not so unreasonable to explore the connection between angels and crystals. You can learn about that connection in the article "What is an Angel Prayer Crystal?".

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In the Blink of an Eye

None of us can know when our lives on Earth will end and our time in heaven will begin. It may happen suddenly, without warning: in the blink of an eye.

That's how it happened for the prophet Enoch. One day, Archangel Haniel showed up with a fiery chariot, and just like that Enoch left Earth and arrived in heaven. Enoch's situation was unique, of course, because he made the transition without actually dying first. But just like often happens for others, Enoch's departure was sudden and unexpected.

It's a good idea to pay attention to our relationship with God every day, since none of us truly knows if that may be the day we go to meet him. An angel can arrive at any moment to escort any one of us into the afterlife. Are we ready?

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Looking in the Right Place

One of the main ways that Archangel Haniel communicates with people is by giving them a fresh sense of joy, and she does that by directing them to the source of all joy: God.

Far too often, we're tempted to look in the wrong places for joy, and end up with only transitory happiness (at best) or nothing (at worst). Searching for joy in our circumstances (from relationships with people to our jobs our hobbies) will always leave us feeling disappointed, because circumstances change constantly. But unlike happiness, joy goes beyond changing circumstances: It's rooted in God's love for us, which will never change.

My role model growing up was a lady who radiated joy in her onscreen performances: Ginger Rogers. But that joy didn't come from her glamorous Hollywood life (which actually presented lots of pressures and challenges). Her joy came from her relationship with God. Ginger taught me to go straight to the source of joy -- God himself -- rather than look for it in anything lesser. I hope you do the same, and enjoy a life filled with joy, no matter what circumstances you encounter!

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Recognizing the Archangel of Prayer

Since Selaphiel is the angel of prayer, the most common sign of his presence is an urge to pray about someone or something. Whenever I get an urge to pray, I try to stop what I'm doing and pray silently right then and there about whatever specific prayer topic has entered my mind. Sometimes I discover later when talking to people I've prayed for that they especially needed prayer at the exact time when I sensed an urge to pray for them!

The article "How Do I Recognize Archangel Selaphiel?" describes some of the signs that people may experience when they encounter archangel Selaphiel (who is also known as Zerachiel).

Have you ever experienced a strong urge to pray, done so promptly, and later found out that your prayer made a powerful difference for good? Visit our forum to discuss this!

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