Page 37 - Overcoming Addiction

Luke 11:5-13
Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at
midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of
mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has
already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and
give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him
anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get
up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to 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 he who seeks, finds; and to him who
knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his
son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he
is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then,
being evil, 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?”

Receiving the Holy Spirit is similar to becoming a partaker of the atoning
work of Christ in that both require faith. We must believe what Christ said here is
true. We must believe that if we ask for the Spirit that we will receive it. We must
believe that “all who ask receive.” If we have confidence in God’s character,
knowing that He is a loving heavenly Father, then we will not doubt that He will
provide that which His children ask for, and which they desperately need. He will
not withhold any good thing from His children, but He wants us to ask Him for
these things, and He wants us to trust Him.
The Holy Spirit is sent as the Helper to the children of God. He is unlike any
other helper one can imagine. This Helper will make known to us the mind of the
Father. He will reveal what the Father wants us to do in every situation. He will
provide the strength we need to walk in righteousness, and to fend off the attacks
of the enemy. This Helper knows our weaknesses, and in every area where we are
weak He is strong and will supply the strength of God on our behalf.

Romans 8:12-16
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh - for if you are living according to the flesh, you must
die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you
will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but
you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba!
Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of
God...

Romans 8:26-27
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know
how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with
groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what