Worship
As you begin your quiet time today, I encourage you to listen to “Holy Spirit” by Jesus Culture Band and Kim Walker-Smith. You can find the playlist of all the music from our daily devotional with the links to your preferred platform here.
Scripture
Luke 11:5-13
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Devotional
This is one of those beautiful passages where Jesus reveals to us another facet of the Father heart of God. It’s such a peculiar passage though, where Jesus reveals to us how to receive the Holy Spirit from the Father in a way we might not expect. He reveals that God our Father loves audacity. He loves persistence, perseverance and faith!
Jesus gets to the heart of the matter, the secret to receiving from God - persistence. A persistent person will continue to knock at their friend’s door, even if it is an inconvenience to the friend. Imagine the character in the story, going away after just knocking at the door once. First of all, if you really are friends with someone - you trust them enough to help you - you persist.
When it comes to receiving spiritually from God, your persistence often reflects your desperation. If you are really spiritually seeking, you will pester God. You won’t take no for an answer. So many go away sad because they weren’t willing to pray for more than 10-20 mins for God to help them. We’ve got to have the heart of Jacob - who wrestled with God until daybreak, refusing to let him go saying “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26). Jesus is teaching us a secret to receiving from God - persistence. This teaching grates against false humility. God strongly dislikes a lack of faith wearing the mask of humility. God wants you to persist, to wrestle, to contend and ultimately prevail. It shows you are truly hungry for him, full of faith and accurately see his character as a good Father!
How do we persist in our spiritual hunger to have a marking moment with God? By standing on his promises. Jesus says in this passage “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” There’s a promise, grab a hold of it and knock. For is God not good? Of course he wants to bless us! For the word says “how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Oh yes and that is what we are talking about! The bread that satisfies our spiritual hunger is the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of our precious Lord Jesus. That is what we are knocking for. That is what we are hungering for. To receive the Spirit!
Jesus said in the sermon on the mount “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” What can this mean other than those who hunger for righteousness will knock and keep on knocking in prayer at the wide doors of heaven’s throne room for an outpouring of the Spirit’s power to live righteous lives.
As we embark on this week together - seeking the power of the Spirit. Begin to knock, knock on the doors of the Lord and audaciously wrestle with God until he blesses you with a tangible outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Do you hunger for righteousness - knock. Do you hunger for the power of the Spirit - knock. Are you at the end of yourself - knock. and keep on knocking for to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Prayer
Spend time with God today persisting, pestering and contending for him to bless you with a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit today.