25 lines
4.4 KiB
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25 lines
4.4 KiB
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<title>Blue Letter Bible: Day By Day By Grace — Bob Hoekstra</title>
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<div class="head">Day By Day By Grace</div>
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<div class="subhead">Bob Hoekstra</div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020">March 9</div></div>
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<h2>More on Praying for the Fullness of the Spirit</h2>
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<div class="block"><i>"And I say to you, <b>ask</b>, and it <b>will</b> be given to you; <b>seek</b>, and you <b>will</b> find; <b>knock</b>, and it <b>will</b> be opened to you. For <b>everyone</b> who asks <b>receives</b>, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened…your heavenly Father [will] <b>give</b> the <b>Holy Spirit</b> to those who <b>ask Him</b>!"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Luk',11,9,10, 13);">Luke 11:9-10, 13</a>).</div>
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<p>Here again, the <b>work</b> of the <b>Spirit</b> in our lives is associated with <b>prayer</b>. Prayer is that wonderful God-ordained means of relating to the Lord in <b>humility</b> and <b>faith</b> (the two means by which we access grace). In praying, we are <b>humbly</b> admitting that we <b>need God</b>. In praying, we are exercising <b>faith</b> toward God that He <b>will act</b> on our behalf. We pray; God moves by His <b>Spirit</b>, pouring out whatever <b>grace</b> is necessary for any given situation.</p>
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<p>We saw this in our previous meditation. <i>"That <b>He</b> would <b>grant</b> you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through <b>His Spirit in the inner man</b>, that <b>Christ</b> may <b>dwell</b> in your <b>hearts</b> through <b>faith</b>… that you may be <b>filled with all the fullness of God</b>"</i> (<a onClick="return mV('Eph',3,'16-19');">Ephesians 3:16-19</a>). Here, prayer was the avenue to being filled with the bountiful work of the Spirit in our lives. We humbly ask; the Lord faithfully works. This is precisely the teaching of Jesus in our present passage.</p>
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<p>The end of Jesus' message involves the Spirit being given to those who ask. <i>"How much more will your heavenly Father <b>give</b> the <b>Holy Spirit</b> to those who <b>ask Him</b>!"</i> This is also where our Scripture began. <i>"And I say to you, <b>ask</b>, and it <b>will</b> be given to you; <b>seek</b>, and you <b>will</b> find; <b>knock</b>, and it <b>will</b> be opened to you."</i> These are three parallel commands, followed by three parallel promises. Who receives Holy Spirit fullness? Those who <b>ask</b> God for such. Who experiences the life-empowering work of the Spirit, that every child of God must find? Those who <b>seek</b> God to impart such. Who is flooded with the outpouring of God's Spirit? Those who <b>knock</b> prayerfully on heaven's doors.</p>
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<p>Then, making these three "command-promise" couplets even more sure, Jesus adds three more statements of certainty. <i>"For <b>everyone</b> who asks <b>receives</b>, and <b>he</b> who seeks <b>finds</b>, and to <b>him</b> who knocks it <b>will be opened</b>."</i> These are absolutes. There are no exceptions. Those who genuinely ask, seek, or knock can go on their way by faith, knowing that the Lord will be doing a thorough work of His Spirit in them.</p>
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<p>As with the earlier command to be filled with the Spirit (<a onClick="return mV('Eph',5,18);">Ephesians 5:18</a>), these imperatives are also in the present tense. They could be rendered: <b>keep</b> asking, <b>keep</b> seeking, <b>keep</b> knocking. Again, this is a <b>way to live</b>, not a singular event.</p>
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<div class="dbdbg_prayer">Giver of every good and perfect gift, I humbly ask You for a fresh new work of Your Spirit. Lord, I rest on Your promise that everyone who asks receives. Manifest Your fullness in me in any way that You desire, in Jesus' name, Amen.</div></div></div>
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<div class="desc-center"><div class="pad2020"><a href="./devotions/daybyday/03/0308.html">Yesterday's Reading</a>
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<a href="./devotions/daybyday/03/0310.html">Tomorrow's Reading</a>
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