When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.

Luke 11:24-26, ESV

It is not enough for our inner life – that is, our motivations, desires, thoughts – to be forgiven, purified, and clean. We must ask the Holy Spirit to fill us up, on the daily, in order to keep those devils away. Those devils are going come back. They’re going try to jump back in. And they will, if we’re empty. That’s why Jesus Christ called himself the Bread of Life, and the Holy Spirit the Living Water.

Just as we have to go to the refrigerator or the food pantry every day, two or three times per day, with our cups, our plates, our bowls, and get food and water, so also, do we have to go to God for spiritual food and water. We have to ask the Heavenly Father on the daily, two or three times a day, to give us His word and the Holy Spirit.

The disciples asked Christ, “How should we pray?” In response, Christ said pray like this..

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13

Christ instructs us to pray for our daily bread – not just physical bread, but spiritual bread.

Christ also said to ask the Heavenly Father for the Holy Spirit:

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

God expects us to come to Him to ask for the Holy Spirit. If we ask Him for it, He will surely give it to us because He is a good, good, Father like none on earth. He also knows that as His children, we have to have spiritual food from Him daily, if He is hoping and is rooting for our survival – if He is hoping and rooting for us to thrive.

Why would a God who gave us spiritual birth, deny us spiritual food and not give us all that we need in order to thrive in Him? If we are not mean to our children like that, then how much more is our heavenly Father not mean to us? The key is for us to ask.