Luke 11:5-13 Only Fish; No Snakes!
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: September 1, 2018 Luke 11:5-13
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Then he told them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine on a trip has dropped in on me, and I don’t have anything to serve him.’ Suppose he answers from inside, ‘Stop bothering me! The door is already locked, and my children are here with us in the bedroom. I can’t get up and give you anything!’ I tell you, even though that man doesn’t want to get up and give him anything because he is his friend, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. So I say to you: Keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened for you, because everyone who keeps asking will receive, and the person who keeps searching will find, and the person who keeps knocking will have the door opened. “What father among you, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, would give him a snake instead of the fish? Or if he asks for an egg, would he give him a scorpion? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who keep asking him!”
(Revelation of God) I used to think that this is a general ask-anything-and-you’ll-get-it promise, yet I knew that this did not happen in real life, so I was confused. A couple of years ago, I realized that the context is the giving of the Holy Spirit, but I was confused about how it said ask in a general way and only at the end said Holy Spirit. However, now I think it is that in Jesus’ mind having the Holy Spirit is the answer to every question, every need, and every request. God is the source of all that is good, so any good thing that we want needs to come through God’s power, i.e. the Holy Spirit. To Jesus, every question a human could have is answered through the Spirit’s opening of our minds to receive the answer and leading us to the place where we can find the answers. Every goal that we need to achieve is achieved through the Spirit’s power working within us to transform us and in our environment to arrange events accordingly. Every opportunity that we want to open to us is opened through the working of the Spirit. The Spirit directs the warfare here on earth, so He is the Arranger, the Responder, and the Guide for all humans who belong to God.
The other change in understanding that I received over the years was that this was not a promise of response to a one-time asking. This promise is for persistent asking. If there is something I need to ask for, like my children’s conversion, I need to keep on asking again and again. If there is something that I am seeking, like knowing Jesus, I need to be persistent. I will find Him, but I need to keep looking because He is difficult for me to know as a sinful being. If I am seeking knowledge, I need to keep seeking and the Spirit will guide me into the ways to obtain it. If I am trying to have an opportunity open for me, I need to keep pursuing it; however, I need to be aware that the answers may come in ways that I never expected. God does not think as I think. He sees, understands, and moves far beyond my comprehension. I may not understand all that goes on in His answers, but I have Jesus’ promise that God wants and will give me the Spirit dwelling in me to provide those answers.
Jesus compares God to a friend. True, the friend in the parable is unwilling to help his other friend, yet Jesus is still saying that God is our Friend, and He clarifies it that God is good and willing to help, unlike the friend in the story.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus also emphasizes that we must be persistent. Why? Maybe one reason is because it takes time and effort to transform us into holy beings connected to the Father through the Holy Spirit. However, I still ask the question why would God expect me to ask many times instead of just responding the first time? Why persistence? I think another answer is that we live on a sinful world where God must work around other sinful humans, my own sinful self, and Satan’s forces. Most of all, everything that I read in the New Testament indicates that faith is essential in order for God to use His power in and for us. Persistence is part of faith. Could it be that repeated asking increases our faith and thus, God’s ability to work in a sinful world where He refuses to force anyone to connect with Him against their wills? A first time request may need to be repeated to renew the faith connection with God.
(Application / Prayer) Jesus did not want us to give up out of discouragement. Instead, he wants us to keep asking past the discouragement. He wants me to keep seeking past the feeling of being lost. He wants me to keep knocking on His door even when it seems like it is taking a long time to open. The road to heaven can seem long and discouraging, but Jesus promised me that the Father wants me there and that He will be with me there every difficult step of the way through the Spirit that He has given me. I am not alone, and He hears my requests and responds. He is with me. Teach me to always know that You are with me.