God's Holy Fire: 'Are We Asking?'

Saturday, January 3, 2026

[Jesus said,] "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 11:13 NIV

Key Thought

James told early followers of Jesus that they lacked many things in their spiritual walk with the Lord because they did not ask for them or because they asked with the wrong motives (James 4:1-3). So often we fail to have the blessing of the Holy Spirit in our lives because we don't ask for the Spirit. God longs for us to request the Spirit's presence and power, but the Father is not going to force the Spirit's influence into our lives. He wants us to request the Spirit and to submit to the Spirit's leading and direction in our lives. So let's ask the Father for the Spirit and follow the Spirit in all that we do!

Today's Prayer

Almighty God, my loving Father, I thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit given to me when I came to Jesus. But, dear Father, as I face the challenges of temptation, deal with grief and loss, face challenges that are overwhelming to me, and seek to bless your children, I confess that I need to recognize and access the power and presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Please fill me with your Spirit and show me how to use his blessing and guidance. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

9 Related Resources by Heartlight

Luke 11:13
Devo: Today's Verse
"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....."
Good Gifts to His Children
Illustration of Luke 11:13
E-card of Luke 11:13 - If you.. know how to give good gifts to your children, then how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
One of the Greatest Answers to Prayer
Devo: What Jesus Did!
"[Continuing his teaching on prayer, Jesus said,] "You fathers — if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for...."
SpiritFire: Ask!
Article by Phil Ware
Why do we not ask for something God longs to give? Phil Ware begins a four week challenge that coordinates with the SpiritFire daily devotional challenging us to invite the Holy Spirit into our daily lives.
See All 9 Related Resources about Luke 11:13

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 11:13 NIV — [Jesus said,] "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!"

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Saturday, January 3, 2026

Quotemeal
A daily dose of Christian quotes to inspire and encourage.
Quote by Author Unknown:
"Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Hebrews 10:30-31
"We know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Morning Thought: Zechariah 1:8
"The vision in this chapter describes the condition of Israel in Zechariah's day; but being interpreted in its aspect towards us, it describes the..."

About This Devotional

God's Holy Fire is a daily devotional about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The Thoughts and Prayer for God's Holy Fire are written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

More God's Holy Fire

Translations