The Holy Spirit is a gift to us from Jehovah, the Lord God Almighty (Acts 2:38, 10:45, 1Cor. 6:9, Heb. 6:4). A gift is something freely given. But then there’s the other side. The one receiving the gift can choose to accept it and use it, or, to reject it, set it aside, or otherwise disregard it. We need to understand that God has done all that He needs to do and is going to do for our salvation and restoration. We are the ones that must seize the opportunities that He has made for us and put them to use in our lives (Deut. 30:19). Whether we are filled with the Holy Spirit and functioning in the light of His presence is our decision.

If salvation and the subsequent infilling of the Holy Spirit were solely God’s options, then everyone would be saved and functioning fully in God’s Spirit. But these are not God’s options. They are His gifts. It is our option to accept these gifts and use them to the fullness that God intends. We all want God’s blessings, and that’s good. What isn’t good is that we want them with no strings attached. Up goes the cry of the Gimmie Bird, “Gimmie, Gimmie, I Want, I Want.” But when it comes to receiving and using those blessing in service of the Kingdom, on go the blinders, with hands over the ears.

In Deut. 28:1-14, God clearly sets forth the physical blessing that He has for every one of His children. But, read the very first word in this passage: “If.” The blessings are conditional. Continue to read on to see what the conditions are:

Deut. 28:1 IF YOU will listen diligently to the voice of the Lord your God, being watchful to do all His commandments which I command you this day, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

We must be obedient to God’s desires for us. Rebelling against Him and then expecting Him to bless us is nonsense. Salvation is not free. We have to give God something in exchange for it—we must give ourselves. We must turn from the way we have lived and choose to live the way God wants. We must turn from unbelief to deeply dedicated reliance on God through Jesus Christ. This is not a bad thing, it’s a great, eternally blessed decision. The point is, God has made it all available to us. It’s up to us to make the quality decision to live our lives in close, intimate association with God.

He is so good, so loving, so kind, so generous, so focused on us, that He guided John to write:

1John 5:14 And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us.

1John 5:15 And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him.

Just imagine. If we ask anything in His will, He hears and grants it to us. It’s our job to receive it and use it. We receive God’s gifts with praise and thanksgiving and absolute confidence that God is God and will do what He says.

This is a long way around to say that receiving the gift of the infilling of the Holy Spirit requires that:

1.    We want to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit as much or more as we want anything else in life.

2.    We ask in absolute confidence that God will fill us when we ask.

3.    We receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit with praise and thanksgiving on our lips.

4.    We expect to speak in the language that the Spirit pours into us.

Let God fill you with His Spirit so that you can be all He intends you to be. Let Him empower your life and lead you on the journey that He designed just for you. That’s His great heart’s desire for you, accept this wondrous gift from the King of kings, and live in all the fullness that He intends.

“Father. In Jesus’ name I want your gift of the Holy Spirit in my life. Fill me right now and pour your holy words into me that I may speak to You in the perfect language of the Spirit. Empower my life; I want to be everything that you intend. I receive Your Holy Spirit with great elation in my heart. In Jesus’ prefect name, that Name above every name and Title above every title, I give You praise and thanksgiving for hearing me and granting this request.”