Ask, search, and knock for what?

     If you've ever prayed, then the promise from Jesus in this week's gospel from Luke 11 has come into question:

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

Illustration by Ted Slampyak

 I've asked, and not received, sought and not found, knocked and found the door to be locked tight.  But we all know that God is faithful and always keeps God's promises, right?  So how come it seems like on this promise in particular many people are let down and disappointed?  The obvious answer is that the people did receive, did find, and did have the door opened, it just wasn't anything they expected, or it wasn't exactly what they wanted. 
     But I wonder if the answer is that we don't read far enough in the text.  We get to the promise and say to ourselves, "Great!  Now I just need to ask and God will grant my wish.  But I need to be careful because I only have three wishes..."  Oh wait, that's the genie, not God.  Right.  God is NOT a genie.  I say this tongue-in-cheek, but that is the unfortunate view that many people have of God.  So what do we find if we keep reading?  Well, the story continues:

Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give 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!

 Is it just me, or does it seem that this promise has an ending that not many know: How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?  You mean this isn't a promise carte blanche for anything we could ever want?  And here I thought "God will give me the desires of my heart" (Psalm 37.4)
     When it comes to prayer and asking God, Jesus makes it clear that God will give abundantly of the Holy Spirit.  Nothing more is promised.  And, really, isn't the Spirit all we need?  Don't we believe that "by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel, enlightened me with [her] gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true faith, just as [she] calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith"?
     If, then, the one thing we ask for and receive is the Holy Spirit, won't everything else we ask for align with God's desires for us?  As one very wise, very faithful woman said to me, when you have the Spirit, your inner stirrings usually come from God in the first place, and asking, seeking, and knocking will produce in you an act of true faith in which you will ultimately find God.
     Because, deep down in all of our desires, isn't there a longing for God?  Even in my deepest desire and craving for ice cream, I am really desiring to be satisfied - which ice cream will never be able to do for me.  That craving for satisfaction can only be fulfilled and satiated by the One who is life.
     What are you asking or searching for?  What doors are you knocking on?