His prayer lesson in Luke 11:1-13 has three parts: [1] The Lord’s Prayer; [2] the parable of the friend coming at midnight; and as a climax, [3] the continual request for the Holy Ghost.

After the Lord’s prayer, he shares the parable (verses 5-8) in which visitors arrive at a man’s home late in the evening and he has nothing to serve them. Because of his need, he immediately goes to his neighbor. Then he explains to him that “he has nothing” and asks for bread. He continues to ask until he finally receives the bread. Now he has bread – bread of life – for himself and for his visitors. He has something for himself and is now in the position where he can share.

Now Jesus links this parable (problem: I have nothing) with the request for the Holy Spirit by saying: “Therefore I say to you, ask, and it will be given you.” (Luke 11:9 NKJV)

Jesus’ special Appeal: Therefore ask for the Holy Spirit

In this particular Bible passage, Jesus emphatically commands us to ask for the Holy Ghost. There is 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. Luke 11:9-13 NKJV:

“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 seeksfinds, 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!”

In these few verses Jesus used the verb “ask” 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 have to take action in order to be filled with the Holy Ghost?

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 doesn’t only make asking a matter of urgency but also expects us to continually do it. 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 Ghost. 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 Ghost.

In Christ’s Object Lessons it says,

“God does not say, Ask once, and you shall receive. He bids us ask. Unwearyingly persist in prayer. The persistent asking brings the petitioner into a more earnest attitude, and gives him an increased desire to receive the things for which he asks”. (p.145)

QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION & DEVOTION

1. Why do you think Jesus links the parable where the neighbor asks for bread with asking for the Holy Spirit?

2. What do you think Jesus repeated 10x the asking for the Holy Spirit?

3. ASK/SEEK/KNOCK, which one is more significant for your life today?

4. How can you make this essential request a constant? What is the one action you can associate with the request for the Holy Spirit, so you never forget? (Example: I ask for the Holy Spirit when I drik water in the morning – usually the first action I do after getting out of bed).