I was two weeks postpartum scrambling to feed my hungry daughter in the wee hours of the night. “Hey, I’m here. I know you’re hungry” I told her. She had a tendency to go from sort of hungry to starved in a matter of seconds. I picked her up as her cry became desperate. I held her and said, “Baby, have I ever left you hungry?” 

Immediately I heard the Lord repeat the question back to me, “Have I ever left you hungry?” 

I can tend to have short-term memory loss when it comes to the Lord and His provision for me. When I feel in need, I can go quickly from content to desperate. That night the Lord nudged me to let me know that in the same way I would sustain my daughter, He would meet my needs as well. 

How Much More

It made me think of the verse, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:11-13 NIV

How much more. Those words stuck out to me. There I was, a brand-new mom, thinking there wasn’t a single thing I wouldn’t do for my daughter and God in His kindness, gently reminded me that in the same way that I give good gifts to my daughter, He gives good gifts to me. 

Better than I could ever give and better than I could ever gain.

He gives the Holy Spirit. He gives His peace in trials. He gives comfort in times of mourning. He gave His Son to pay for our sins. 

He Gives the Holy Spirit

You know, when I first heard about the Holy Spirit, I was a bit puzzled. It felt like an abstract concept, somewhat like trying to understand a new language. But as I continued to grow in faith, I began to realize the crucial role the Holy Spirit plays in my life. 

Have you ever felt an unexplainable peace in the midst of a storm? That’s the Holy Spirit at work, offering comfort when our hearts are heavy. And let’s not forget about the times when we’re nudged out of our comfort zones. I’ve had moments when I felt a strong urge to help a stranger or speak up about an issue close to my heart – that’s the Holy Spirit empowering me to serve, to love, to share Christ with an unbelieving world. 

So, although it has taken time for me to realize, when God speaks of the gift of the Holy Spirit, He is talking about a truly transformative, powerful, and intimate presence in our lives. It’s not just an abstract concept—it’s a personal and profound reality of our relationship with God.

To Those Who Ask

That’s what makes this last part so cool. The second-half of verse 13 says: “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” 

Sometimes I miss those last four words: to those who ask. 

Every so often, I confuse worrying about something as praying about it. I can think about a circumstance or need in my life so much it feels like I have brought it to God but really I have just been anxious about it. Have you ever done that? 

Asking God for what we need is one of the privileges of being His kids! He wants to hear from us! He wants to know what is on our mind. He wants us to cast all our anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He wants to give us good gifts – much more than we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). And the Holy Spirit is a very, very good gift. 

One of the greatest requests we could bring to God is for more of the Holy Spirit.

So, that night as I rocked my satisfied daughter back to sleep, that’s exactly what I asked for. 

A Prayer For Today

Today, I pray that we would lean into our Heavenly Father’s arms and ask Him to give us more of the Holy Spirit. That we would have child-like faith to trust that God will see our needs and meet us right where we are. I pray that we would trade anxiety and doubt for communion with the Lord. 

Join the Conversation

How has the gift of the Holy Spirit shaped your faith or have you ever experienced a situation where you initially thought God was not answering your prayers, but in retrospect, you saw His abundant provision? I’d love to hear your stories.