“What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? … How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11–13
Heavenly Father, on this August Sunday, we take Jesus’ rhetorical questions to heart with humility and anticipation. When we are faltering, fearing and famished, you are so ready to give us more of the Holy Spirit. There is no Father like you—so dialed into our needs and delighted to meet us in our weakness.
You re-birthed us through your Spirit, sealed us with the Spirit, and now indwell us by the Holy Spirit. Thank you! But we crave a fresh visitation of your “incomparably great power for us who believe.,, the same power you used to raise Jesus from the dead, and seat him at your right hand” (Eph. 1:19-20). Honestly, we now fear our dryness and coldness more than we afraid of getting “Spirit-imbalanced.”
Among the weeds in our hearts and culture, grow a bumper crop of the Spirit’s fruit—choking out unbelief, meanness, “earth-bound-ness.” Turn up the volume of your Spirit’s voice in our hearts, declaring our belovedness as your children (Rom. 8:16). Father, let us hear you singing to us and over us—so much so, it will drown out all the noise, naysaying, and nonsense coming at us constantly.
May we take Jesus’ great love, sovereign rule, and sure return more seriously than ever. Father, like baby robins, we open our whole being wide to your Spirit’s coming. So Very Amen.
