With The Help Of The Holy Spirit

WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

a prayer to open

Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

May your Kingdom come, may your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.

If we were left to our own strength and desires, Jesus’ instructions about how to be and love in the world would be impossible to follow. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit do we have any chance of loving like Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our guide, our teacher, and our reminder. He is our power and our strength. Without him, we would be utterly incapable. But as we are empowered by him and transformed over time, and as we practice what Jesus taught, we become capable of extending love, grace, and forgiveness in the ways Jesus did.

• Where are you lacking strength and courage to love?
• Where has fear overtaken you?
• Where is self-centeredness or perceived busyness overwhelming you?

God, fill me anew with your Holy Spirit. Give me an open heart and mind to all that your Spirit longs to transform in me, and grant me the strength I need as I seek to live for the sake of others. Amen.