Meditations on Desire, Part 3

So I originally had what I was going to post for this blog written out but I lost it somehow. Fortunately I was able to capture most of my thoughts via the sound recording function on my phone yesterday. Technology is a blessing and a curse. Mostly a blessing it seems. Anyways, onto the post!

If I become thirsty and want a drink of water, soda, juice, beer, whatever, then I will naturally do what I can to acquire the beverage and parch my thirst. Let's say I'm at a restaurant with my parents and I don't have any money and I find myself to be thirsty. What will I do? I will ask my parents to buy me a drink so that my thirst can be quenched.

Read this:

And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

That was Luke 11:5-13.The bold words are my own edits.

I remember hearing a sermon on this passage sometime last year and while I don't remember what the message's main point was, I remembered this passage. Let me preface my discussion by noting that the passage here mainly speaks of asking and receiving. What is the thing Jesus is talking about receiving here? The Holy Spirit. I just wanted to get that out of the way and make sure that this is presented as the clear, literal, meaning of Jesus words so that in my forthcoming discussion on this passage, I will not overly force an outside idea on the text. You came here to read about desire and you got a brief note on reading and applying Scripture. That one was free. ;-)

Back to desire. If I ask my parents for a drink, they will give it to me because they are friends to me and they enjoy giving good things to me out of love and joy. Now if I am desirous of something that is not a beverage, and I am praying to God, communing with him, what am I to do? What should I ask of God? It seems that I should ask for the things I want. It would seemingly belie the teaching of this text in Luke to do otherwise. Now, in saying this I am assuming that the desire is not ending in asking for something that is sinful or is something that should not be prayed for. Yes, if you were wondering, we can pray for the wrong things, just see James 4:3.

I am actually going to stop this post right here and present an example of wanting something specific in the next post...if I included it the post would become far too long for rodent-like attention span of my generation. And I like to keep my few readers in suspense. :-)