There is a Bible passage in which Jesus emphatically commands us to ask for the Holy Spirit. I know of no other passage where Jesus so lovingly urged us to take something to heart. These verses are found in His lesson on prayer in Luke 11. There He emphasized 10 times that we should ask for the Holy Spirit.
“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 son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 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!” (Luke 11:9-13)
In these verses Jesus used the verb “ask” few six times; then he replaced “ask” and emphasized it with “seek” two times — an action — and two more times with “knock” — also an action word.
Doesn’t He clearly show us that we must take action in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The last “ask” is used in the continuous tense in Greek. That means that we aren’t to ask only once, but rather to ask continuously. Here Jesus not only makes asking a matter of urgency but implores us to ask continually. Certainly, He also wants to awaken our desire for the Holy Spirit with this heartfelt invitation. This urgent invitation shows us Jesus’ conviction that we would be missing something crucial, if we don’t continually ask for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. He was clearly calling our attention to the fact that we absolutely need the Holy Spirit. In this way He wants us to continually receive the rich blessings of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus then gave three examples (Luke 11:11-12), which show behavior that is unimaginable even for sinful human fathers. He wanted to show us that it is even more unimaginable that our heavenly Father wouldn’t give us the Holy Spirit when we ask. Jesus wants us to be sure that we will receive the Holy Spirit when we ask in the appropriate way. With this promise and other promises, we can ask in faith and know that we have already received what we requested (1 John 5:14-15).
This special invitation shows us that according to Jesus something essential is missing when we don’t persistently ask for the Holy Spirit. He draws it to our attention that we absolutely need the Holy Spirit. He wants us to continually experience the rich blessings of the Holy Spirit.
Prerequisites to Receiving the Holy Spirit
This part of His lesson on prayer is a unique process. The Holy Spirit is God’s greatest gift — the gift which brings all the other gifts with it. This was Jesus’ crowning gift to His disciples and clear proof of His love. I think we can understand that such a valuable gift wouldn’t be pushed on someone. It is only given to those who express their desire for this gift and appreciate it.
He will be given to those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus; He will be given to those who live in continual commitment (John 15:4-5). Commitment is expressed by:
- A yearning for God (John 7:37)
- Trusting in God (John 7:38)
- Complete surrender as a result of trusting God (Romans 12:1)
- Following God in everything (Acts 5:32)
- Confessing every known sin (1 John 1:9)
- Giving up our own way, going God’s way and doing this according to God’s will (Acts 2:38)
- Continually ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13)
Call to Action
Can’t you clearly see how valuable this gift is? When you think about all these prerequisites, then you will probably find deficiencies in yourself. I have made it my habit to pray daily for a desire for the Holy Spirit in connection with John 7:37: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” I believe it’s worthwhile to claim Bible promises when we pray.
Will you pray with me?
Dear Heavenly Father, I completely say yes to all the prerequisites for receiving the Holy Spirit. I sincerely ask that you now, today, fulfill them in me. Amen.
The above is an excerpt from Steps to Personal Revival.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
