Luke 11 9-13 So I say to you ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a person asked for bread from any father among you, will he give a stone, or if he asks for a fish will he… NKJV
Notice what Jesus said in verse 13. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?’
Many times this passage has been used to claim all types of things A new car. A new house. But in the immediate context, Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit.
And we are told the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that heaven longs to bestow upon men. In the original Greek, verse 13 literally says we are to keep on asking for the Holy Spirit. In other words, it is not once filled always filled. The implication is that we are to ask for the Holy Spirit each and every day.
Now why is the Holy Spirit living within us, dwelling within us, so essential to our Christian experience?
1 John 4:13 tells us that we can know that Jesus abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given to us. Now this is the implication of what John is saying. Even though Jesus is in heaven, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus is able to abide in our hearts… through the Holy Spirit.
So when we ask for the Holy Spirit to fill us, the Holy Spirit brings with Him the presence of Jesus. Jesus told us to ask for the Holy Spirit. And here’s a quote that has been reassuring to my heart, from Acts of Apostles p 565.
“Prayer is heaven’s ordained means of success in the conflict of sin and the development of Christian character. For pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christ-like temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask and the promise is ‘Ye shall receive.’”
There are certain prayers that are always yes prayers. And for the Holy Spirit, yes. Always YES. So when you get up in the morning give your will to God and ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you and you can know regardless of the way that you may or may not feel that day, that you have received the Holy Spirit by faith, because Jesus has promised it.
David Shin is a pastor in America. Twelve months ago, he preached on prayer life in Quarantine. His message is just as relevant today… His sermons can be heard on Faith FM and the AudioVerse podcast.
You can read this full transcript prepared and edited by IntraVic here .