Consecration to the Holy Spirit

St. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How can we pray more meaningfully in a world full of business and worry? How can we submit to the Will of God and serve Him better? One prayer may be enough to answer that.

Even as we raise our heads in the morning, we could be saying a prayer before our feet hit the floor. A friend of mine once shared this daily prayer, a prayer to consecrate oneself to the Holy Spirit, and it changed my entire prayer life and the way I look at life. I devoted myself to saying it daily. Not only by saying it daily, but by meaning each line daily did I change how I approach every trial.

Oh Holy Spirit, soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen, and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive to all that You permit to happen to me, only show me what is Your Will. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

The Holy Spirit is the soul of our souls. He is our life force, our very spiritual breath. Job 33 says, “For the spirit of God made me, the breath of the Almighty keeps me alive.” We are here by the grace of God alone. This should give us confidence in knowing that we are right where He can reach us and He will guide us along the way.

We ask the Lord to enlighten us, which means to give us the knowledge we need (not all the knowledge but that which we need), to go forward. We ask for His guidance and strength. For many, we also ask for His consolation and comfort, as this world strikes hard blows. Some suffer more than others, but all do suffer. The Lord wants us to come to Him like a parent wants a child to seek comfort, guidance, and support. God is our loving Father and we should seek Him in all things. (Romans 10:13)

In seeking His guidance, we also seek His wisdom when we ask Him to tell us what to do. Harder still is to pray for Him to ‘command’ us to do it. Are we willing to ask God to give us that push? We know He will take care of us but are we willing to trust Him? It’s that steep slide we’re afraid to enjoy, or for some maybe it’s more like a bandage that needs to be torn off. Command me, oh Lord!

Next is the hardest and I’ve had tears at difficult times as I forced myself to pray this. I promise to be submissive to all that You permit to happen to me… Mary gave herself over to the Lord completely in Luke 1:38. Can we do the same. This prayer became easier for me as I prayed it, but boy! This was the hardest line at times.

Perhaps the repetition of this devotion is what makes it work best. Sometimes I don’t say it until I’ve been up for a bit, but I always make sure I consecrate myself to the Holy Spirit daily. I need Him guiding me. I’m not best when left to my own devices. I trust God more than I trust myself. His love for all of us is immeasurable and never ending. Imagine a world where we all consecrate ourselves to the Holy Spirit!