I believe the paramount reason why many believers are not filled with the Spirit is that they are not ready to receive this priceless blessing from God. Either they do not know what it is they ask, or they have not submitted themselves to God’s preliminary dealings with them. The gift of the fullness is the greatest blessing that can come to a child of God. God is not going to give His choicest of blessings to one who has not in some measure a real appreciation of the glory of the blessing, as the Holy Spirit is so wonderful!

How many believers pray glibly: “Oh God, fill me with Thy Spirit.” The superficiality of their prayer is an open witness to the fact that they have no true realization of the grandeur of such a blessing. It is seemingly a mere repetition of evangelical phraseology.

If it were possible to conceive that God, in His infinite mercy, would give the Holy Spirit in His Fullness to those who are not ready to receive Him, that experience would prove a grave danger.

How many times have you, as a parent given costly presents to your precious child, only to discover that he was too immature to appreciate the value of it. Again, would you give your child your valuable watch to play with, just because he asked you for it?

No! you would be afraid that he would misuse it because he is not yet ready to receive it. In the spiritual realm, think of Paul having to receive “a thorn in the flesh” to keep him humble.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (II Cor. 12:7). If the mighty apostle was in danger of becoming conceited through the glory of his spiritual experiences, how much are we! But God, in His infinite mercy and wisdom does not give us the fullness of blessing until He knows we are ready to receive it.