Window of St Peter’s Basilica, Rome

Dearest Father,
As the sun is full of light, the ocean full of water,
Heaven full of glory, so may my heart be full of your Spirit.

Pointless are all your purposes to love,
and the redemption paid by Jesus,
unless your Spirit works within,
regenerating my heart,
giving me eyes to see Jesus,
showing me the realities of the unseen world.

Give me your Spirit without measure,
as a flowing river in my thirsty wanderings.

I’m sick of my coldness, poverty, emptiness,
imperfect vision, lazy service,
prayerless prayers, praiseless praises.

Overpower my insults and resistance,
Holy Spirit come.

Come as power,
to expel every rebel lust, to reign supreme and keep me yours.
Come as teacher,
leading me into all truth, filling me with all understanding.
Come as love,
that through the Spirit I may adore the Father, and love him as my all.
Come as joy,
to dwell in me, move in me, animate me.
Come as light,
illuminating the Scripture, molding me with living Words.
Come as sanctifier,
body, soul, and spirit altogether yours
Come as helper,with strength to bless and keep, directing my every step.
Come as beautifier,
bringing order out of confusion, loveliness out of chaos.

I want to give off the beautiful aroma of your goodness.

Father, Son, and Spirit,
Show the greatness of your nature,
by being made great through me,
by being greatly in me.

Amen

[based on The Valley of Vision: a Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions p. 28. With extensive remodeling, revisions and rephrasing by Dan Anderson]

A Prayer to be filled with the Holy Spirit