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 One
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.
My oldest son wasn’t breathing when he was born. The umbilical cord had been wrapped tightly around his neck. So, instead of being laid gently in my arms like I had dreamed of for so long, he was whisked away to a warmer, slightly blue and a little limp. Immediately, nurses rubbed his back and feet, put the oxygen under his nose, and tried to stimulate his breathing.
Across the room, I lay in the bed saying, “Breathe, baby, please breathe,” for what seemed like an eternity.
In reality, only a minute or two passed before life-giving oxygen entered his lungs and the most precious sound I’d ever heard touched my ears. Not only was he breathing, but he was crying. Loud and strong and full of life!
We are all born, sisters, needing breath. We need air in our lungs to keep us alive and functioning. And just as our bodies need the air of this world, our souls need the Breath of Life from the Spirit to truly live.
There have been times in my past that I have felt the suffocating lack of the Spirit. If we look around, we can recognize that lack in our own communities and the world at large, can’t we?
But we don’t need to live in that place of suffocation and desperation. We have Jesus and we have each other. We have people who will rub our backs and encourage us to breathe, to fill our souls with the Spirit.
Then, we can cry out in strength and in love. We can live as we truly are, made new and made whole.
Look in your heart today to see where you might need some spiritual resuscitation. Then, look at those around you to see who might need a little encouragement as well.
Prayer + Discussion for Prayer Partners
What part of your life needs the breath of the Spirit to come alive again? Are you truly willing for that to happen? If not, what is holding you back?
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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