Luke 11:13
In His reply to the request of one of His disciples that He should teach them to pray, Jesus said four things—one, that prayer should be for the fulfillment of God’s purposes (Luke 11:1-2); two, that prayer should be for the supply of God’s provisions (Luke 11:3-4); three, that prayer should be with boldness (Luke 11:5-8); and finally, that God responds to prayer as a Father to a child (Luke 11:9-13). He rounded off His answer by drawing the attention of the disciples to what is perhaps the greatest blessing or gift that God could give to a child that He loves, that is, the Holy Spirit.
He said, in Luke 11:13, “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!” One of the implications of Jesus’ statement is that the Holy Spirit is a good gift that God gives to those who ask Him. But why is He considered a good gift that all should pray to God for? It has to do, first, with the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself. The Holy Spirit is God; the third Person in the Holy Trinity, along with God the Father and God the Son. While each of them is distinct from one another, all three of them are fully God, have the same essence, and will exist forever.
Along with God the Father and God the Son, the Holy Spirit was there at the beginning of creation: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:1-2). The phrase “Spirit of God” in verse 2 could just as well be translated “the Wind of God,” because the Hebrew word ruach can mean either “spirit” or “wind.” Depending upon the translation, verse 2 says that the Spirit is “hovering” or “moving” over the waters, perhaps as an act of creation (Psalm 33:6; 104:30; Job 33:4; Ezekiel 37:9).
Also, the “breath of life” that God breathed into Adam during the creation of man is the Holy Spirit [“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7)]. The Spirit of God dwelt in man before the Fall but, as a result of the Fall, He departed, leaving man empty and devoid of His power and influence. This is what it means to be “spiritually dead” (Genesis 2:17; Eph. 2:1-3). In spite of the fact that man was spiritually dead and came under the control and influence of his sinful nature, and the world system that is under the control of Satan, the Holy Spirit came upon certain individuals for special services.
For example, Bezalel was “filled” with the Spirit of God to develop and execute artistic design for the Tabernacle (Exodus 31:2; 35:31). When Moses became overwhelmed by the challenges of leading the Israelites, seventy elders were chosen to assist him. God put upon them some of the Spirit that was on Moses (Numbers 11:17, 25). Gideon was able to deliver Israel because “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon” (Judges 6:34), as well as upon other judges (Judges 3:10; 11:29). Samson performed feats of strength whenever the Spirit of the Lord came upon him (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14). After he was anointed by Samuel, the Holy Spirit changed Saul and transformed him into a person who could act in power to deliver Israel (1 Samuel 10:1, 6).
After God rejected Saul, Samuel was sent to anoint David as king. “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power” (1 Samuel 16:13). Prophets prophesied when the Spirit of God came upon them (2 Chronicles 15:1; 20:14; 24:20; Joel 2:28-29; Luke 2:25).
Several prophecies of a new era of the Holy Spirit are found in the Old Testament. The first of these is a prophecy that the Holy Spirit will come upon the promised Messiah, the descendant of David: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:1-2). At the synagogue in Jerusalem, Jesus read from a prophecy of Isaiah that refers to the Anointed Messiah (Isaiah 61:1-2, ESV). Jesus saw Himself as the fulfillment of this prophecy (Luke 4:21).
A second type of prophecy about the Spirit’s future ministry comes from the prophet Joel (2:28-29, 32a), and is cited by Peter as being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21). More of these promises of the Spirit upon God’s people are found in Ezekiel, with some clustered around his famous vision of the Valley of Dry Bones that God brings to life (Ezekiel 36:25-27; cf. 11:19; 37:14). These prophecies point to a future time: the New Covenant.
During the transition time, right before the Messiah was revealed, several people had the Spirit come upon them. These include Mary, Jesus’ mother — “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…” (Luke 1:35); Elizabeth, John the Baptist’s mother (Luke 1:41); Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father (Luke 1:67); John the Baptist himself (Luke 1:15), who was “filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth” (Luke 1:15); Simeon (Luke 2:25-27); and Anna (Luke 2:36-38).
There are hints in Old Testament prophecies that, in the last days, the Spirit will come upon the Messiah to empower him — and ultimately upon all people who are called by God. This new era was inaugurated when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan (Luke 3:21-23). The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in “a bodily shape like a dove.” John, the beloved Apostle, went out of his way to stress that the Spirit’s descent upon Jesus was unique: He abode (John 1:32) and He remained upon Jesus (John 1:33).
The Holy Spirit entered the life of Jesus once and for all, permanently and powerfully, in His full manifestation and unlimited power. This kind of experience is what Jesus promised His disciples and what He asked the disciples to pray to God for by asking for the Holy Spirit. Our first encounter with the Holy Spirit is when He convicts us of our sin, shows us that none of us can live up to the righteousness of Jesus, and reveals to us the judgment that is coming to those who die without a Savior (John 16:8-11).
As we repent, confess our sins, and receive the gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates our dead inner human spirit which now becomes sensitive to the spiritual things of God (John 3:1-16; Acts 2:38). There is a second work of the Holy Spirit when He baptizes a believer (Acts 2:1-4). It’s available to all (Acts 2:39) and is a gift of empowerment, helping the believer to live a holy life. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Helper, we become more like Jesus and are directed to do the Father’s will. Furthermore, the gift is primarily for the empowerment to witness to others (Acts 1:8).
The uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is His presence within us. Jesus said before He ascended to heaven that the Holy Spirit would come and dwell within us as believers. With that, He empowers us to live victoriously for the cause of Christ and the glory of the Father.
There are at least ten supernatural ways the Holy Spirit wants to empower us today.
One, the Holy Spirit is our Helper (“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you,” John 16:7).
Two, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us. (“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God,” 1 Corinthians 6:11). To be “sanctified” means to be set apart as sacred. The Holy Spirit wants to help us in this process of sanctification: to die to our old self and be all that God created us to be; to be free from the entanglement of sin and to live victoriously.
Three, He makes us more like Christ (“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit,” 2 Corinthians 3:18). When we meditate on God’s Word and in it see God’s Son, then the Spirit transforms us! We become more like the Lord Jesus Christ as we grow ‘from glory to glory.” Our goal is Christlikeness and this takes place through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Four, He helps us to do the Father’s will (“Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go up and join this chariot,’” Acts 8:29). Throughout the New Testament, we see the Holy Spirit direct people to do the will of God. He helps us tune into the voice of the Father and, in faith, do what we believe He is calling us to. We need to ask the Spirit to show us what the Father’s will would be for us every day and ask Him to empower us to carry it out!
Five, the Holy Spirit gifts us for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). The Holy Spirit imparts to believers the gifts that are needed in the Church. Nobody receives all gifts but they are distributed among the Body of Christ, each person receiving different gifts. The gift(s) that we receive will empower us for the calling God has placed on our life.
Six, He imparts love (“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us,” Romans 5:3-5). We find love in our suffering. As we endure trials, God’s love is poured out into us through the Spirit and it’s this empowerment that carries us through the hard seasons.
Seven, the Holy Spirit gives hope (“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope,” Romans 15:13).
Eight, the Holy Spirit teaches and gives insight (“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you,” John 14:26). The Holy Spirit will give us insight into what we are reading and furthermore, He will help us recall what we’ve read in Scripture. He brings to our minds understanding and truth.
Nine, the Holy Spirit guides our prayers (“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words,” Romans 8:26).
Ten, the Holy Spirit uses us for evangelism (“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth,” Acts 1:8). Telling others about Jesus and making disciples is our most important role on this earth. It’s literally the last thing Jesus said before he ascended into heaven!
Having seen the benefits that we can derive from the Holy Spirit, the next question is: How can we receive the gift Holy Spirit? Jesus said that the Holy Spirit is given to those who ask for Him. The basis for having such a prayer answered by God is the death of Jesus Christ for our sins; His burial and resurrection from the dead. The Holy Spirit is given to those who repent from their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Daily experience of the power of the Holy Spirit that is now resident in us depends on our yielding the control of our lives to Him.
