Mark Virkler continues his in-depth interview with his daughter Charity Kayembe on the topic of her new book, Everyday Angels.

Mark: We have talked previously about the “Angelic Unemployment Line” that many seers in the Body of Christ have witnessed. We discussed how these angels are waiting for us, as believers, to give them assignments. A big question that immediately comes up would be: How do we have the authority to commission angels?

Charity: That’s such an important question! You’re right, we must have a heart revelation of who we are in Christ as we step into the sacred supernatural realm. Understanding who we are, and whose we are, is absolutely foundational for partnering with the company of Heaven.

So what kind of authority do we have? How does God see us? In Psalm 8:3-6, David asks this very question and reveals the extraordinary answer:

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet.

We are just “a little lower than God”! While some versions render the translation “a little lower than angels” – the Hebrew word in the verse is Elohim, which refers to God Himself.

We have been crowned with majesty and made to rule. Over what? Over everything. “The works of His hands” could not be more inclusive and absolutely includes angels. This is even reiterated in the next phrase, “You have put all things under” our feet.

This revelation of our identity is confirmed throughout Scripture. We are the only ones made in God’s image, and as believers, we are not only His family, but also His Body (1 Cor. 12:27). Our spirit has been joined with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:17). We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). We are partakers of the divine nature, and we have been filled with the fullness of God (2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 3:19).

Little “g” gods

In fact, there is another amazing passage in Psalms that speaks to our true identity as well. Psalm 82:6 declares, “You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.” Really? While we don’t usually think of ourselves in this way, it actually dovetails seamlessly with the Genesis account of our beginning.

We know we have been created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Scripture also makes clear that everything reproduces after its own kind (Gen. 1:21-25). That is, the children of birds are little birds and the children of zebras are little zebras. It follows naturally then that the children of God would be little gods. Certainly not God Himself, but absolutely children made in His divine likeness with His own DNA, little copies of Him (1 Jn. 3:9). He breathed into us His very breath; it is His Spirit flowing through us that gives us life (Gen. 2:7).

Lest we are tempted to relegate this revelation as confined to some obscure passages in the Old Testament, Jesus actually highlights it for us in the Gospels to be sure we don’t miss it. “Jesus answered them, ‘Has it not been written in your Law, “I said, you are gods”?’” (Jn. 10:34). He even went on to say that this truth is the word of God and Scripture can’t be broken (Jn. 10:35). Indeed, we are the supernatural progeny of God Himself (1 Pet. 1:23).

Once we understand who we are, it will be natural for us to speak with angels. We know that angels are ministering spirits sent to render service to us who inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14). They’re here to serve us, and Paul even says that we are going to judge them (1 Cor. 6:3).

Mark: Yes, you’re right. That is clearly what Scripture teaches. So now that we understand that God has delegated His authority to us in the earth, we want to use it rightly. Can you give us an example of how to take up this responsibility to partner with Heaven in transforming our world? If we want to activate angels, practically, how do we pray?

Charity: We always take our initiatives from Heaven and want to be led by Holy Spirit in all that we do, including commissioning angels. We live and walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25)!

One awesome example of how this can work is seen in Uta Milewski’s story. This summer, the Lord gave our friend, Uta, a strategic plan of intercession for our region. She invited pastors and ministers from the area to pray for the city and created an MP3 playlist of anointed music and those prayers, which can be downloaded. The vision is that as you drive the interstate loop around downtown Buffalo, you are able to release these prophetic declarations and join in with your own prayers, transforming the atmosphere of Western New York with worship and intercession. Amen!

I was honored when Uta asked me to pray specifically for the angels of God to be commissioned and activated. Below is a copy of the prayer, which I encourage you to personalize and pray for your own city and nation.

Father God, we come before You in Jesus’ name, and we lift up our eyes and look on the fields of Buffalo, and see they are white for harvest. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So we are beseeching You, Lord of the Harvest, to send out workers and harvesters into Your harvest. And we know, God, that Matthew 13:39 tells us those harvesters are Your angels.

We thank You, God, for Your angels, those ministering spirits assigned to serve and assist those who will inherit salvation. We agree with what You want to do in our city, God, and we say YES to Your plans and purposes for Buffalo. We know the heavens are Yours, but the earth You’ve given to the sons of men. It’s our responsibility to make our part of earth, Western New York, look just like heaven.

We invite you, holy angels of God, to be released in every area of our city: to minister in our schools and on our campuses, in the suburbs and south towns, the north towns and downtown. Angels of God, we welcome you to serve our pastors and assist our politicians; we commission you to visit our university students and to bless our immigrants.

God, just like the angels who directed Cornelius to Peter and Philip to the Ethiopian Eunuch, we thank You for angels partnering with us in evangelism and reaching the lost. God, just like You sent angels to enlighten Daniel and warn Joseph, we invite Your messengers to carry Your wisdom and revelation into our region. God, just like You sent Your angel to bring supernatural provision to Elijah, we thank You for Your angels of prosperity that are being activated in every sphere of business and entrepreneurship in Buffalo right now, in Jesus’ name.

We are grateful for Your heavenly hosts who are working alongside us, teaming up together with us to bring in the harvest. We are honored to play a part in Your strategic Kingdom coalition: co-operating and co-laboring with Your angels in the Great Co-Mission. God, we thank You, we bless You and we love You, in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Mark: That is powerful! And I know others will be inspired to do something like this in their own cities. How can they find out more?

Charity: You can read about the vision God gave Uta and how this strategic prayer drive initiative came about at www.PrayBuffalo.org. On the website, you can download the prayers and you’re even welcome to request information on start-up steps you can take to kick off a similar prayer drive in your own city.

Mark: Thank you, that’s great. In your book you share insights from other Christian leaders who are also sensing that this is the season to co-labor with the angelic realm; that the Church is to get back to a biblical understanding of the angel armies and work together with them. What are they hearing from God?

Charity: Yes, so many ministers are seeing and hearing these same directives from Heaven. That it is time for us to partner with the company of Heaven in a Kingdom coalition to advance God’s purposes in our world. In his book, Angel Armies, apostolic pastor Dr. Tim Sheets teaches extensively on commissioning angels because of a dramatic encounter he had with the Lord.

“One day, I again drove out to the lake to pray and to think about the angel network and the strategies needed to overcome narcissism in the church. As I was pulling alongside the lake, the Holy Spirit spoke another word to me. This word was very forceful and bold. Although very rare for me, He spoke this word audibly and so loudly that I had to pull the car over to the side and stop. I was shaking.

“The words were like a command as He boldly said, ‘Release My Heir Force,’ meaning the force behind the heirs. I knew immediately He meant ‘heir’ and not ‘air.’ That word became an apostolic assignment that I have since carried everywhere I’ve gone.”

In summary, Scripture explains that angels obey the word of the Lord and it is their delight to do His will (Ps. 103:20-21). They listen when we speak God’s word and pray Scriptural promises. When God speaks in our hearts what He wants done and we give voice to that, angels listen and are moved to action too. Gabriel told Daniel, “I have come because of your words” (Dan. 10:12).

By coming into agreement with God and His word, we are activating angels’ standing orders so they are released to accomplish Father’s purposes and perfect plans in our families, homes, cities and nations.