Week Five // Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God
Holy Spirit, living breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Let the presence of the risen Lord
Come renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your word to come alive in me.
Give me faith for what I cannot see.
Give me passion for your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.
Holy Spirit come abide within,
May Your joy be seen in all I do.
Love enough to cover every sin,
In each thought and deed and attitude.
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my strivings into works of grace;
Breath of God show Christ in all I do.
Holy Spirit from creation’s birth,
Giving life to all that God has made.
Show your power once again on earth,
Cause your church to hunger for your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise;
Lead us on the road of sacrifice,
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.
Week Five Intention
We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the entire world.
Week Five // Day Four
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my strivings into works of grace;
Breath of God show Christ in all I do.
It seems like we can’t turn on the TV or hop onto Facebook anymore without falling into some sort of tailspin of argumentativeness, doesn’t it? Sometimes if feels like the whole world is spoiling for a fight.
I, though, tend to avoid conflict like the plague. Probably because it always makes me cry, and I hate to cry!
It doesn’t matter if it’s a face-to-face disagreement with my husband, a phone conversation with an administrator from the kids’ school, or even just reading contentious comments on social media. I literally get hot under the collar and go into defensive mode.
Hearing how awful people can be to each other (and, yes, how awful I can be sometimes) just makes me want to shout from the rooftops that trite old can’t we all just get along?!
But no. Of course we can’t! Our fallen human nature makes us prone to disagreement. Along with free will, God gave us minds that think and hearts that feel. So, naturally, there are as many varying thoughts and opinions as there are people.
The key, I think, is to face these differences in a Christ-like manner. We need to approach each other with kindness, even when we disagree. Harsh words can be answered with gentleness, and hatred answered with grace.
Am I saying we need to roll over and be doormats every time we come across opposition? Certainly not! I don’t think a God who literally flipped over tables would ask that of us. It’s just that oftentimes—and especially when we engage in online disputes—we may not be apprised of the entire situation. We don’t and can’t know the hearts, minds, and experiences of the other.
So, maybe, we need to be brave and approach conflict differently. We can ask the Holy Spirit to deliver this grace to us; to help us show His kindness and gentleness with others, even when we disagree.
It would probably work out better for all concerned if we faithfully attempted to show the loving face of Christ to others instead of the red and blotchy faces of our angry selves.
When faced with a difficult person or situation today, take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to breathe the love of Christ through your words and actions.
Prayer + Discussion for Prayer Partners
Think back to a recent argument you had. How would the outcome have been different if you had invited the Holy Spirit to inspire you with kindness, gentleness, and grace?
Beth Williby is a mom of four pretty amazing humans and has been married to her college sweetheart for twenty years. She does her best praying through singing and feeding the people she loves. Having grown up in the Midwest, she now calls Northeast Florida home. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Beth's posts here.
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