For many years, I barely gave the Holy Spirit much thought at all. But over the last two years or so, He has taken much more of my attention. It all began when I read “Forgotten God” by Francis Chan for the first time. I wrote about my thoughts during that first reading in the posts God-Sized Dreams and A Supernatural Testimony. But last night, during our Infusion Bible Study, a thought came up that I felt was worth writing about. It is a subtle shift in thinking that I believe can make a world of difference in our lives if we take the time to explore it.
The paragraph in the workbook said this:
In Luke 11, Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. He tells them to ask, and it will be given to them; to seek, and they will find; to knock, and the door will be opened (v. 9). He says that every human father knows how to give good gifts to his children. And then He draws a powerful conclusion: “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!” (v. 13).
I have to confess, when I read this in the workbook I thought, “Does it really say that?” You see, all my life I’ve read that verse and in my head it says, “how much more will the heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him!” Do you see the difference? Just to be sure, I looked up the same verse in both KJV and ESV. Guess what. It says the same thing. You may be thinking, “Donya…what’s the big deal. I don’t get it. Of course God gives good things to His kids.” You’re right. He does. But that’s not what the verse says. The verse says how much more will He give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
Think of a wedding ceremony. The celebration is not about the exchange of rings. Yes, they are beautiful and meaningful, but that’s not the point. It’s about the person that you are vowing to remain in relationship with for the rest of your life. (Sometimes this gets muddled in girls’ thinking, but that’s a post for another day.) In the case of Luke 11:13, God doesn’t just want to gives us good things, He wants to give us the best thing—Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. I even posted on this topic last week and still got sideswiped when I saw it in this verse. I can be so slow sometimes!
Imagine what could happen if you shifted your thinking from what the Holy Spirit can do for you and instead thought of what might happen if He had free reign in your life. I know it might sound like the same thing, but think about it. Instead of praying for God to give you the right words to say when you are reaching out to someone, what if you prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill you mind and mouth with Himself. He knows the person you are going to meet inside, outside and upside-down. You don’t. Praying for His help isn’t bad…but the focus in that instance is still on you. Praying for God to give you the Holy Spirit takes you out of the picture. Do you see the difference? What freedom can be found in that tiny shift! No more worrying about saying or doing the right thing or being smart enough to handle whatever questions may be asked. Just release yourself completely to the Holy Spirit to use you as a vessel to do His work as He sees fit.
I wonder, does this mental shift resonate with you? Is there something you have been praying about that needs a change in your thinking and praying? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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