Week Four // Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit,
Divine Consoler,
I adore You as my true God,
with God the Father and God the Son.
I adore You and unite myself to the adoration
You receive from the angels and saints.
I give You my heart
and I offer my ardent thanksgiving
for all the grace which You never cease to bestow on me.
O Giver of all supernatural gifts,
who filled the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, with such immense favors,
I beg You to visit me with Your grace
and Your love and to grant me the gift of holy fear,
so that it may act on me as a check to prevent me
from falling back into my past sins,
for which I beg pardon.
Grant me the gift of piety,
so that I may serve You for the future with increased
fervor,
follow with more promptness Your holy inspirations,
and observe your divine precepts with greater fidelity.
Grant me the gift of knowledge,
so that I may know the things of God and,
enlightened by Your holy teaching, may walk,
without deviation, in the path of eternal salvation.
Grant me the gift of fortitude,
so that I may overcome courageously all the assaults of
the devil,
and all the dangers of this world which threaten the
salvation of my soul.
Grant me the gift of counsel,
so that I may choose what is more conducive to my
spiritual advancement
and may discover the wiles and snares of the tempter.
Grant me the gift of understanding,
so that I may apprehend the divine mysteries
and by contemplation of heavenly things detach my thoughts
and affections from the vain things of this miserable
world.
Grant me the gift of wisdom,
so that I may rightly direct all my actions,
referring them to God as my last end;
so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life,
I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in
the next.
Week Four Intention
We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the Universal Church.
Week Four // Day Seven
Grant me the gift of wisdom,
so that I may rightly direct all my actions,
referring them to God as my last end;
so that, having loved Him and served Him in this life, I may have the happiness of possessing Him eternally in the next.
Out of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I bet this is the one we have prayed for the most. Perhaps this is even the only one we’ve actually prayed for by name. Every time we pray the words, “Heavenly Father, show me what to do,” or, “Why am I in this situation?“ or even, “Lord, how could you let this happen?” we are praying for the gift of wisdom.
Pope Francis defines wisdom as “the grace of being able to see everything with the eyes of God…to see the world, to see situations, circumstances, problems, everything through God’s eyes” (source).
If we can see our lives and our world through God’s eyes, how much more loving will we be? How much more will we go out of our way to serve our neighbors? How much more patient will we be in trying circumstances? How much more willingly will we suffer?
God loves prayers for the gift of wisdom. We see His loving approval of this request time and time again in Scripture, most notably in the way He rewards Solomon in the Old Testament.
When God offered Solomon anything he desired and Solomon asked for the gift of wisdom in order to rightly rule the people of Israel, God replied:
Because this has been your wish—you did not ask for riches, treasures, and glory, or the life of those who hate you, or even for a long life for yourself, but you have asked for wisdom and knowledge in order to rule my people over whom I have made you king—wisdom and knowledge are given you. I will also give you riches, treasures, and glory, such as kings before you never had, nor will those who come after you. -2 Chronicles 1:11-12
As we close this week and this beautiful prayer of holy St. Alphonsus Liguori, I’m reminded of something one of my favorite professors used to say: God gives for the sake of giving.
We serve a generous and loving God, sisters. Let us boldly ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit to pour down on ourselves, our communities, and our world, that we may use those gifts to build the Church and love the Lord with all our hearts, minds, and strength.
Ask for the grace to see a particular situation in your life through God’s eyes. How does it look different after doing so?
Prayer + Discussion for Prayer Partners
Having prayed through St. Alphonsus Liguori’s Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit this week, which gift stood out to you? Discuss which gifts you desire most, as well as those you are already growing in.
Lisa Kirk is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. New York City-born and internationally raised, she now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her study-abroad-crush-turned-husband and their two children. A former wedding magazine editor and fashion copywriter, she now writes primarily for Something Pretty, the Catholic living and classic style blog she began in 2010. She loves learning about the Saints, wandering the city with coffee in hand, and making new friends on Instagram. Read all of Lisa's posts here.
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