Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

Promise: Ask and you will receive!

Matthew 7v7 “Ask and it will be given to you.”

Both Matthew and Luke record exactly the same phrase spoken by Jesus, “Ask and it will be given to you” (also Luke 11v9). Both also continue by saying “For everyone who asks receives”. A little further, Matthew records,  “How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.”  Luke’s account has  “Holy Spirit” rather than “good gifts”.

In Luke, Jesus says, “Ask and it will be given you,”  in the context of teaching about prayer with an encouragement to be persistent and with particular to the Holy Spirit. This is a call for us to keep asking for more of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Do you want to live the life God has purposed you for? You can only do that by the Holy Spirit within you.

Matthew records this phrase in the “Sermon on the Mount”, which is a series of Jesus’ teachings about the way to live in the kingdom of God. Elsewhere, the disciples responded to Jesus’ teaching with “this is impossible”, and possibly Jesus sees that response in their thinking this time too. And so, Jesus answers them by saying in effect, “Ask God to enable you, ask God to live out through you, living God’s way is a good thing and God always gives good gifts.”

So, seen in each context, the meaning is the same. God wants you to live out the way of Jesus by the Holy Spirit enabling you. So, when you ask him for the Holy Spirit and when you ask him to change your thoughts and attitudes top align with His, He will respond and answer.

This is a promise of Jesus. Claim it today.

With love and blessing,

Roland