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The Holy Spirit: ASK

Hello strangers :) It's been a long time. 
When I take a break like this, unintentional as it is, it is hard to write again. I feel the need for a long intro, but I can't think of one, so I'm jumping into this post with a heavy question.

How is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Does He intimidate you? Do you feel close to Him? Can you feel Him work? Or do you read that first question and wonder "what the heck IS the Holy Spirit?"

He has been rather elusive to me for many years. But about a month ago I was doing a bible study and came across some in-depth commentary on these verses from Luke 11:
 
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I usually read those verses and think about the good gifts the heavenly Father will give; but I have missed an important nugget. What is the gift that the Father will give us when we ASK him?! The Holy Spirit. In abundance. Notice those words, "How much MORE will the heavenly Father give the HOLY SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO ASK HIM!" Sorry for yelling at you with all those caps, but they are important. 

We hear about being endowed with the Holy Spirit when we accept Christ. And I'm not saying this doesn't happen...but I'm saying that original endowment doesn't necessarily mean active relationship all the time! The way to get this "How much more of the Holy Spirit" is to ask God. It's not a hard thing to do. A simple, "Heavenly Father, please give me more of the Holy Spirit today," will suffice. 

And because you asked, He will deliver. That's His part of the promise and why there is all that talk about how we, as humans, give good gifts to our children even though we are evil in comparison...if we ask God for more of the Holy Spirit, why on earth, would He refuse?! If we give our kids what they ask for, you can bet that God will give you what you ask for in this case. Asking for the Holy Spirit is no small thing. It is how we commune with God. It opens us up for closer connection with the one who WANTS that connection to be vibrant. 

Ready for another light bulb? This is not from me, but rather from the lovely Beth Moore, and also in reference to the verses above:

Ask
Seek
Knock

It's an acronym. ASK. Ask, seek, knock. When you ask for more of the Holy Spirit, here is more justification for why God WILL do it. God's word tells you that when you ask, it WILL be given to you. When you seek, you WILL find. When you knock the door WILL be opened to you. But you have to do the asking.

I'm learning that's the important thing. From the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve DIDN'T ask God about the apple before eating...to our own daily lives. We often don't ask God. And if we don't ask God, we can't grow in our relationship with Him as He intends. He wants relationship...and relationship happens by communicating and asking questions. 

Friends, ASK God, for the Holy Spirit and be prepared for HOW MUCH MORE of Himself He will give you! 

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