About 7 in 10 US adults say they believe in angels, according to a new poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

“People are yearning for something greater than themselves — beyond their own understanding,” said Jack Grogger, chaplain for the Los Angeles Angels and a longtime Southern California fire captain who has aided many people in their gravest moments.

People turn to angels for comfort, he said. They are familiar, regularly showing up in pop culture as well as in the Bible. Comparably, worshipping Jesus is far more involved; when Grogger preaches about angels it is with the context that they are part of God’s kingdom.

Americans’ belief in angels (69 percent) is about on par with their belief in heaven and the power of prayer, but bested by belief in God or a higher power (79 percent). Fewer US adults believe in the devil or Satan, astrology or reincarnation. (AP)