Opening the Gates of Heaven Perry Stone

his car, he heard a voice say, “There are four hippies in that van. When you go into the men’s room, they will physically rob and harm you!” He immediately stepped back into his car, cranked the engine, shut the door, and locked it with his left elbow. He pulled out, spinning off without delay. As he did, the side door of the van opened, and these rough-looking men stepped out and attempted to stop him from driving away. This voice, who he believed may have been an angel, spared his life. W HAT R ELEASES THE A NGELS ? While growing up and during my earliest years of ministry, I assumed that angelic visitations were totally in the control of the Lord Himself. If God wanted to send an angel, He would simply turn to one in heaven and give His invisible messenger instructions. With that concept, there is nothing we can do to initiate the assistance of angels. The Bible, however, gives a different insight. When we read the Scriptures, we discover some interesting passages related to this thought. We read, “Bless the L ORD , you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word” (Ps. 103:20). This “word” can refer here to God instructing the angels, or it can also allude to angels following the Word of God, which we speak from our mouths. The apostle Peter wrote: