God Sends Angels with Direction
- Bishop Keith Butler
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him continually; And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance. (Acts 10:1-10)
In Acts 10, we meet Cornelius, who was not part of the church and was not Jewish. Cornelius was a Gentile follower of Yahweh, a devout man in his faith, known for his heart for prayer and amazing generosity. He had a fear of God, a household willing to follow him because of his example, and a lifestyle centered around prayer.
God told him that his prayers and alms had come up as a memorial, which is connected to the altars created in the Old Testament. God was saying, “We can’t move forward until we acknowledge this man’s offering.” This story reveals several truths. First, it shows that God responds to prayer and giving even when theology isn't perfect.
However, this story wasn’t just about Cornelius; it also involved Peter. One man prayed faithfully and gave generously, while another man fasted and listened to the Holy Spirit. When both trusted and obeyed, the Holy Spirit orchestrated their meeting and connection.
Practical Application
God wants to speak to you. He may do this in many different forms or ways: through dreams or visions, angelic visitations, an inner pull, a phrase, or in numerous other ways.