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 Three
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.
I’ve been a singer my entire life. In fact, raising my voice in song and praise is my absolute favorite way of praying. I can totally relate to St. Augustine’s offering that “those who sing, pray twice.”
When I was in college, I studied voice, even though I wasn’t a music major. And I have been in choirs for ages. In my mind, it’s part of that “giving back to the Master all that he gave me and more” idea that Jesus talks about in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
All of this made it extremely difficult a few years ago when I went through a period of debilitating performance anxiety. I couldn’t cantor at Mass. I didn’t want to do any solos. There was even a Sunday when I had a near panic attack while singing at the ambo. My vision narrowed to pinholes and I could hardly breathe much less sing. I wasn’t altogether sure my legs would carry me back to my seat.
I remember asking the Lord, “Why? This is the talent You have given me and I am trying to use it for You! So, why won’t You just let me do it?!”
And, in His graciousness, He answered me. Not with an audible answer or even anything sudden or impactful, but with a tug on my heart. He told me that yes, this was my talent. But I wasn’t the one who should be doing it all.
See, we are not the stars of the show. Our abilities, inabilities, any tricks or talents we may have are His. So we simply needed to step up, stand back, and let Him shine. The only job we have is to let His joy be seen in what we do.
So now, whenever I sing, I pray that it’s not my voice they hear, but His. I ask that the Holy Spirit will sing through me to the hearts of His people.
Invite the Holy Spirit into your “special thing” today. Ask Him to share His joy with others through you. Then, step back and watch Him shine.
Prayer + Discussion for Prayer Partners
Where does the Holy Spirit shine in your life? What talents does He use to bring joy to others? What is it that you lack that His goodness covers?
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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