Day One

This is an experiment. Many experiments are done with an expectation of what the end result will be. This is not one of those experiments. I know that the principles involved in my experiment dictate that things will happen, but I don't know what. My experiment is a test of laws, but not natural, scientific laws. My experiment is a test of spiritual laws.

In Luke 11, Jesus is teaching his disciples how to pray and speaks a powerful truth about the power of asking God for things in prayer. It is a memorable verse that speaks right to the heart of the power of prayer.

And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10

Sounds great! Ask for anything and, bam! It's yours! Not exactly. Jesus is speaking about God's desire to give good things to his children, and continues by clarifying the good thing God most wishes to give us.

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
Luke 11:13

Jesus' conclusion: God wants to give us more of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to experience more of the love, power and guidance that only the Holy Spirit can impart in our lives. To God, there is no greater gift that he could give us, and he wants to give the Holy Spirit to us in abundant ways. This raises a question for me, and it is this question I hope to see answered by my experiment. What would my life look like if I truly asked God for more of the Holy Spirit?

To answer this question I am going to spend the next thirty days asking God for more of his Holy Spirit and documenting what happens in my life. I will do each of these things on a daily basis to have a clear record of the changes, if any, that occur. But for any experiment to be successful it must have some guidelines. To ensure the best results I have outlined a set of ground rules that will keep things on track.

1. I will ask God for more of the Holy Spirit every day. That's all...nothing else. I will not ask for a specific experience or gift. Whatever God wants to do with this simple prayer, however he wants to answer it is entirely up to him.

2. I will do my best to ask with an attitude of faith, believing what Jesus says when he promises that God wants to give us good things, especially the Holy Spirit. I am not a skeptic seeking to disprove anything, but a believer in Christ who is putting total trust in God to answer one simple and persistent request.

3. I will be completely honest in my daily journal. I am not trying to prove or disprove any dogma or denominational doctrine and have no desire to be a cheerleader for an experience that I am not personally having. Transparency with God and myself will be key to seeing what happens over the next thirty days.

As soon as I finish typing these last few words I will sit down and ask God for the first time in this experiment to give me more of his Holy Spirit. Where I will be in thirty days, only God knows, but I have no doubt the journey is going to be interesting.