Prayer about the Holy Spirit
Dear Heavenly Father, as a child I was afraid of suffocating. My older sister would come up behind me, covering my nose and mouth with her hands, watching me squirm and squeal. I was a reluctant swimmer, cautious about putting my head under water, always fearful I’d drown. Even now, I get panicky when I have a head cold, lying awake, monitoring my breathing.
What about those suffering from COVID-19 and the symptoms they may experience?. Problems with breathing, loss of oxygen in their blood, and the need for supplementary oxygen. Some even undergo intubation so a ventilator can breathe for them. How terrifying it must be to lose the very breath of life!
Lord, You have given us a ventilator that infuses us with Your breath–the Holy Spirit. This is Your true presence, filling us with Your purpose and love. In Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was a rush of wind, inflating the souls of the disciples, giving them the gifts of language to speak Christ’s message. I crave that same spiritual fulfillment so I too can speak more effectively of Your love. Now, more than ever, I am gasping for Your presence—fearful, weak, alone.
I recognize , Lord, there are those suffering from a spiritual virus. They may choose to wear symbolic masks of doubt and rejection, closing themselves to Your life-affirming Spirit. Some experience spiritual hypo-ventilation, the failure to breathe in the breath of God. Reluctant to accept the gift of God’s inspiration, choosing to live lives apart from God, they never appreciate Your gifts of love and hope, Your promise of salvation.
During these crucial times, Lord, we need Your Holy Spirit more than ever. Just as virus patients may require supplementary assistance in breathing, we too need the support and the vitality Your breath provides. Because we can’t gather to reinforce one another’s faith, it is more important than ever we seek Your supply of the Holy Spirit. Studying the Bible, especially verses like the 23rd Psalm, provide comfort, linking us with the Holy Spirit. Connecting with one another by whatever means possible provides the spiritual ‘oxygen’ our souls require. And most of all, prayer is the ‘ventilator’ of spiritual connection. When we pray, deeply and honestly, we can find an infusion of Your spirit, giving us the strength and courage to carry on, no matter how overwhelmed we may feel.
This is the time to inhale deeply, to fill ourselves with Your blessed Spirit.
I remember the lines of one of my favorite hymns:
“Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew
that I may love what thou dost love, and do what thou wouldst do.”
There is a controlled burn on the mainland. Acrid smoke hangs heavy in the air; its path covers everything and blurs my vision. We’re told the burn is necessary because it destroys underbrush that catches fire far too easily, quick fuel for blazes than can then be controlled only with great effort and expense. I have “underbrush” in my life as well—negative thoughts I’ve let accumulate. Unless I ‘control burn’ them, they are fuel for fires that destroy my right relationship with God, with others. They lie on the dry forest floor of my mind, fueled by thoughts that are critical, judgmental, hypercritical. Only a spark of anger can set them ablaze so easily, but putting them out is difficult. Please, dear Lord, help me burn away this debris so my relationship with you can be lush, green, and free of destructive negativity. May the air I breathe, may the breezes that blow through my mind, flow freshly through the breath of the Holy Spirit. Amen.