Holy Spirit led me to this passage as I know I need the words of this Scripture deep in my bones.
“Then Jesus said to them, ‘Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, “Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.” And suppose the one inside answers, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.” I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
“‘So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“‘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 11:5–13
I can struggle with a persistent and persevering life of prayer. There are seasons where I contend for deep things and seasons when I back off. But what if my prayer life were consistent and unwavering, bold and persevering, expecting nothing but the abundant goodness of God?
Praying With Boldness
The man came to his friend in shameless desperation. He asked for what he wanted and for what he needed without reservation. Oh, that we would approach Jesus in this same posture. For those of us who know and obey the Lord, He calls us His friend. So our relationship is established, and our identity and security are built upon that relationship. Therefore, what concerns the matters of our hearts and lives is of deep concern to Jesus. We can therefore approach the throne of grace with every want and every need shamelessly communicated and surrendered to the One who loves to care for us.
Praying With Childlike Persistence
Asking, seeking, and knocking are all consistent verbs. They imply a continuous action on behalf of the one seeking. This type of persistence involves earnestness and intensity. It’s not a soft tap on the door of God’s heart. It’s unwavering faith that keeps you at the door because you know whom you have believed and in whom you have placed your trust. When my girls were little and they needed something, they wouldn’t give up until that need was met. Why do we lose that persistence with the Lord as we get older and believe He doesn’t want to answer us? If the need or desire is great and aligned with the heart of God, why do we stop asking, seeking, and knocking, as though God has gone to sleep, is indifferent, or is unwilling to answer us?
“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.” –Psalm 116:1–2
Praying With Expectation
The phrase “how much more” speaks of the generosity and abundance associated with the very character of God. It defines His responses to us. I know I struggle often when I equate God’s responses to human responses. I presume His response to me will be measured, contingent on my performance and dependent on what I say. However, the mercy, love, and grace of God inform His response to me. It’s wrapped in an unmeasurable love; it seeks my very best; and it’s irrelevant to my human reasoning. He seeks to pour out all that is good unto the ones He gave His life for.
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” –Romans 8:32
We can’t miss the one thing He does say He will pour out, and that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. He gives it without measure; it’s irrespective of gender or age and comes with the abundance of God. It’s the most precious gift of all! Can you imagine what our homes would look like if He poured out His Spirit on our families and marriages? Can you imagine what ministry would look like if He poured out His Spirit on the full scope of our ministry efforts? Do we even ask Him to do so, or are we self-sufficient and talented enough that we don’t need it? Has strategy replaced our need for an abundant outpouring of His Spirit?
God is positioned to pour out—not drip down—on you and everything that concerns you. The abundance of God is for the people of God. But what if we began to expect, look, ask, and seek unto this measure of who He is? If the character of God, full of abundance, informs His answers and responses, don’t settle for tapping on the door or holding back your needs and desires. He wants to enter into them today and show you the depth and height and breadth of both His love for you and His abundant reply.
“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” –2 Corinthians 9:8
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us … .” –Ephesians 3:20
“‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’” –John 10:10
How do we come to Jesus in prayer with boldness, childlike persistence, and an expectation of an abundant answer?
We come at any hour of the day or night.
We come trusting in His love and faithfulness to us.
We come boldly, without shame or hesitation, because we know we are welcome in His presence.
We come persistently, refusing to stop asking, seeking, and knocking until we receive an answer.
We come in expectation that He will respond.
We come expecting abundance, not scarcity, because our Father is generous.
We come in expectation of a loving response.
We come on the basis of relationship as sons and daughters, and not as orphans or slaves.
We come longing for the outpouring of His Spirit on everything that concerns us.
We come expecting the Holy Spirit Himself to be the greatest answer, trusting that His presence is better than anything we could ask for.
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Women who are equipped to live boldly for the gospel are a key to unlocking movements of the gospel in the world’s spiritually darkest places. Through Arise, East-West helps women take action and follow the Holy Spirit to be bold and reach the lost. Understand your role in the Great Commission and be equipped to boldly bring the world an encounter with Jesus.
