Divine Breath: Inviting the Holy Spirit through Prayer.
Divine Breath: Inviting the Holy Spirit through Prayer
As Christians, we believe in one God who exists as three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One of the primary ways we experience and invite the presence of God in our lives is through prayer. Prayer is a powerful and essential tool for Christians—it allows us to communicate with our Creator, express our hearts to Him, and receive guidance and wisdom from Him.
In this article, we will explore specifically how prayer can be used to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives. We will discuss why this is important, what it means practically speaking to invite the Spirit into our lives through prayer, some common misconceptions about this practice, and finally some practical steps you can take today to begin inviting more of His presence in your life.
Why Invite The Holy Spirit?
The Bible talks extensively about who the Holy Spirit is and why His presence is important. One verse that captures an important aspect of this comes from Jesus himself:
“But I tell you the truth, it is for your benefit that I am going away. Unless I go away,the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go,I will send him to you.” – John 16:7
In other words—Jesus says He must ascend so that He may send us someone even better—the Advocate (or Counselor); often translated as “the Helper” or “the Comforter,” which refers specifically to The Holy Spirit.
The promise of Jesus was fulfilled at Pentecost when believers received this breath—the same breath/spirit/breeze referenced in Genesis 1:2—and began speaking different languages while proclaiming Christ’s message throughout Jerusalem (Acts 2). This same empowering gust would succeedingly animate Christ-followers after other significant literary moments—think for example of Phillip’s baptism campaign in Samaria (Acts 8:14ff), or when Saul of Tarsus was renamed Paul and converted to Christianity (Acts 9).
The Holy Spirit isn’t an optional add-on for the experienced Christian, it is essential. Believing that Christ lives also means believing that the Holy Spirit enlivens our daily existence.
Practically Speaking, How Can We Invite The Holy Spirit?
Inviting the Holy Spirit into your life is a matter of asking God to fill you with His presence. It’s not something we can “earn” or control but it is something we can ask God to do, confident in His desire to be close and involved in our lives.
We shouldn’t worry about manipulating God into giving us some superpower or external phenomenon—instead focus on inviting Him into our hearts through simple acts of obedience and faith.
Avoiding Misconceptions
Oftentimes people think they need some sort of elaborate spiritual routine or practice in order to be filled with the spirit. However, there’s nothing magical about this process—it simply requires a humble heart willing to invite God in more every day.
This doesn’t mean that having structured prayer times—or even particular postures like kneeling—are bad! These things may actually help foster practical reminders and special occasions where you intentionally focus on inviting God’s presence.
Practical Steps To Begin Inviting More Of The Holy Sprit In Your Life:
- Daily Prayer: set aside time each day—even just 5-10 minutes—to pray specifically asking for God’s presence through His spirit
- Cleansing Our Hearts: regularly confess our sins and seek cleansing through Christ. We don’t want to give the Spirit something unclean or unholy to work with.
- Worship: make an effort to worship God regularly through songs, scriptures, and reminders of His character and promises
- Giving Up Control: be intentional about giving up control in our lives, seeking God’s will rather than our own
What is the Purpose of a Novena Prayer Journey?
A divine prayer journey, known as a novena, serves a specific purpose in the realm of religious devotion. It involves nine days of prayer, conducted with unwavering faith, seeking divine intervention or guidance. Novenas are undertaken to deepen one’s connection with a higher power, to express gratitude, or to seek solace during difficult times. Through this spiritual pilgrimage, individuals hope to experience a profound sense of faith and receive blessings from the divine.
The Holy Spirit: A Gift For All Believers
The Holy Spirit is a gift given not only so we can personally experience His presence but also as a way to empower us for greater fruitfulness in our lives. When we invite Him into every aspect of our lives—our relationships, work, passions—we become aware of opportunities where He has gone ahead of us and prepared the way. Suddenly the things that once seemed hard become more effortless.
If you’ve been feeling like your spiritual life has hit a wall or plateaued—perhaps it’s time for an infusion? Allow The Divine Breath—the Holy Spirit—to animate you afresh and explore what new heights He may take you toward today.
“Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary…the Holy spirit which is withinyou…is not your own?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19
