Blog Layout
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Andrea Lende • February 19, 2021
Luke 11:13
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-Gift-of-the-Holy-Spirit-eqk5rh
Luke 11:13
“If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good gifts [gifts that are to their advantage] to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!”
Jesus was teaching the people around Him.
He told them about the man who asked his friend for bread in the middle of the night and how that man kept on knocking and knocking.
Because of his persistence, his friend got up and gave him the bread.
Jesus used this analogy to teach the promise of persistence.
The promise of a request being granted.
He said, “Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you.”
For the first time I saw what Jesus was actually referring to.
He told the people to ask to receive the Holy Spirit.
I had always thought Jesus was telling us to merely be persistent in our prayers.
To keep on asking the Lord for our needs and desires.
However, as I read this passage today, I saw that Jesus was talking about being persistent in our prayers to receive the Holy Spirit.
This was an aha moment for me.
We can still ask for our needs, but the Lord already knows what we need.
Praying for the Holy Spirit was what was worthy of asking for, seeking, and knocking at the door for again and again.
This beautiful gift is worthy of our prayers.
Not just one prayer but many prayers.
Walking in the fullness of God is worth the wait and our persistent prayers.
Understanding and wisdom are worth the wait and our persistent prayers.
Living in the power of the Lord is worth the wait and our persistent prayers.
All of these things and more are given to us as the Holy Spirit comes to reside in our hearts.
Today I will continue to pray for God’s Spirit to fill my spirit to the full until it is overflowing.
May you find the Lord receives and grants your desire to be filled with His Holy Spirit.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for continually showing me new truths in Your Word. Thank You for teaching me Your ways. Little by little You reveal more and more of You to me and I become more and more in awe of You. I praise You, Father! I praise Your Name! You are greatly to be praised! May Your Holy Spirit reside in my spirit. May You fill my spirit to overflowing with Yours so I may love others with Your love. May You pour Your wisdom into my soul. Lead and guide me through this life, Father. Help me follow You when the noise and chaos try to divert my attention away from You. May understanding fill my mind and draw me closer to You. Help me continue to learn of You, Lord. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I enjoy teaching you about Me My child and will continue to fill you with My Spirit.
Response: Thank You for keeping me in Your care, Lord, and teaching me more and more about You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.