Gracious Holy Spirit,
spark of the eternal Word,
you hovered over chaos,
then established order by first
giving the world the fire of your presence.
You, God’s flame, broke open the bright abyss…
You, the Eternal light, ignited a desert bush…
You, the Father’s breath, parted wide the red sea…
You, Abraham’s torch, burned as clouded guide…
You, heaven’s fire, gifted tongues of speech
That others might know that, Christ the Son,
Light from true light is risen indeed.
“Fire of creation,
You give life its spark,
Blowing on the living embers of the love
between the Father and the Son…”
In these, winter’s dark hours,
when the chill shrouds the ground,
And all who walk frozen path long for the warmth of Your burning lamp,
We beseech You, Lord,
To look down with sleepless eye
And send upon us your fire –
the Spirit Holy bright.
Send us the Spirit
that ignites our imagination,
that sears away the sin,
that illuminates the Word
we can never consume.
Come now, Flame of Heaven,
And do not tarry to give light
To our path,
that we might walk safely from harm.
Be unto each here the fire that burns away the dross,
So that the true metal of faith will be pure,
From the imperfections of our deepest doubt.
Fire of creation,
You give life its spark,
Blowing on the living embers of the love
between the Father and the Son,
you are their shared breath
and the radiance of eternity’s glory.
Flame of God,
Strike the stony flint,
and light up our reality;
set brightness in our senses,
To warm our cold desire,
drive away the enemy of darkness,
And bring us back to the risen Son
Whose light overwhelms the night.
All glory to the Father
And to the Risen Son,
And the Spirit of burning Light,
Whose eternal light
Is humanity’s hope
from age to age.
Amen.
A Holy Spirit prayer written for the Gathering at Hope College.