What Does the Bible Say About Asking Angels for Help

Should believers pray to angels for assistance and help? It’s a controversial question – and the Bible provides some clear guidance. Lets overview the biblical perspective on invoking angelic help and prayer practices…

Key Takeaways

• Praying to angels risks violating scriptural commands against worshipping other spiritual entities besides God.
• The Bible clearly directs believers to address prayers to God the Father and Jesus Christ rather than angels.
• Angels operate at God’s command to serve His will and plans – they are limited in ability to respond independently to human prayer requests.
• While angels do interact with people in the Bible, these occurrences appear specially ordained by God rather than a product of human appeal.
• Asking angels for supernatural help instead of God Himself goes against biblical principles for prayer and proper worship.

The Bible has a few key things to say about asking angels for help. Here is an overview:

Do Not Worship Angels

• Angels are God’s messengers and servants, not objects of worship.
  • Exodus 20:3-5 – prohibits worshipping anything other than God.
• Even righteous angels in the Bible refuse worship directed toward them.
  • Revelation 22:8-9 – the angel rebukes John for trying to worship him.

Prayer Should Be Directed to God and Jesus

The Bible instructs believers to pray to God the Father and Jesus Christ rather than addressing angels:

• John 14:13-14 – Jesus says to ask Him directly.
• Colossians 3:17 – do everything in the name of Jesus.
• Hebrews 4:16 – approach the throne of grace.

Angels Respond and Intervene at God’s Discretion

• Angels do God’s will, not human will. They are “ministering spirits sent to serve” according to Hebrews 1:14.
• The Bible contains examples of angels responding or intervening, usually at key times in redemptive history (Genesis 19, Daniel 10).

Angels Do Not Have Ability to Respond Themselves

• As powerful spiritual beings, angels have limits and finite knowledge unlike God (Mark 13:32). They likely cannot respond to generic prayer requests independently.

In summary, the Bible is clear that prayer and worship should be directed only to God and Jesus. While angels do interact with people at God’s prompting, they should not be invoked independently. Asking angels for help instead of God risks violating biblical principles about proper worship.

How to Ask for Help according to Bible

The Bible teaches us to bring our requests and needs to God in prayer. As Philippians 4:6 (NIV) says:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Angels are God’s messengers and servants, but we are to worship and pray to God alone. Scripture warns against angel worship in passages like Revelation 19:10 (NIV):

At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!”

With this key understanding, here are some biblical tips for asking God for help:

1. Ask God Directly

God invites us to come to Him openly and honestly with all our needs and concerns. As 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) encourages:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Rather than addressing angels or saints, go straight to the Lord in prayer. Tell Him exactly what you need and ask for His intervention and help.

2. Give Thanks

Giving thanks while asking God for help demonstrates faith and trust in His goodness. The Bible frequently links prayer requests with thanksgiving:

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. (Colossians 4:2-3 NIV)

Thank God that He hears and answers prayer according to His perfect will.

3. Surrender Your Will

Prayers for God’s help must be accompanied by a willingness to accept His will, even if it’s not what we asked for. As 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV) indicates:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Surrender your desires to the Lord, trusting His ultimate plan is best.

4. Have Faith

When asking God for help, we demonstrate faith that He is willing and able to help us. Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) states:

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

So ask God for help in faith, believing He hears and answers.

5. Wait Patiently

While God may answer prayers instantly, often His timing is different than ours. Waiting on the Lord with hopeful expectation is an expression of faith. As Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) promises:

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

6. Consider Fasting

In the Bible, fasting is sometimes connected with sincerely seeking God’s help through prayer:

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” (Joel 2:12 NIV)

Fasting demonstrates humility and dedication in asking for God’s help.

7. Persist in Prayer

Keep asking, seeking and knocking in persistent prayer, based on teachings of Jesus in Luke 11:9-10 (NIV):

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

God may choose to answer in His timing, but continue bringing your requests to Him.

We ask God directly for help, with thanksgiving, humility, faith and persistence. We surrender our wills to His greater plan and purpose. God promises to hear and answer according to His will and timing.