The Holy Spirit is the great unknown to many Christians, and yet the one who is closest: he is the one who gives us strength, light, and comfort every day. We have gathered the most beloved prayers to the Holy Spirit, from the shortest to the oldest, so that you have one for every occasion: before an exam or a meeting, at the start of the day, when you have to make a decision, or when you need peace.
Why pray to the Holy Spirit
Jesus promised his disciples that he would not leave them alone: he would send the Holy Spirit, the “Comforter,” to guide them. We receive him in Baptism and, fully, in Confirmation, with his seven gifts: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. To pray to him is to ask that these gifts do not fall asleep and that they bear fruit. We tell you about them in The 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit and in the “Come, Holy Spirit,” his 7 gifts, and his 12 fruits.
1. Come, Holy Spirit
The best-known and shortest prayer. It is said at the start of anything important.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them
the fire of your love.V. Send, Lord, your Spirit.
R. May it renew the face of the Earth.Prayer: O God, who filled the hearts of your faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit; grant that, guided by the same Spirit, we may rightly perceive and always enjoy your comfort. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Let the splendor of your glory shine upon us, O almighty Father, Christ, light of light, and may the gift of your Holy Spirit confirm the hearts of your faithful, born to new life in your love. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
2. Prayer of Cardinal Verdier
It was prayed and promoted by Cardinal Jean Verdier, Archbishop of Paris between 1929 and 1940. It is the perfect prayer for students, teachers, and anyone who has to speak, write, or decide: before an exam, an important meeting, or a difficult conversation. Its second part contains a petition traditionally attributed to Saint Thomas Aquinas.
O Holy Spirit,
Love of the Father and the Son,
inspire me always
what I should think,
what I should say,
how I should say it,
what I should keep silent about,
how I should act,
what I should do,
for the glory of God,
the good of souls
and my own sanctification.Holy Spirit,
give me sharpness to understand,
capacity to retain,
method and faculty to learn,
subtlety to interpret,
grace and efficacy to speak.Give me success at the beginning,
direction in progress
and perfection at the end.
Amen.
3. Come, Creator Spirit: the hymn that Saint John Paul II prayed daily
The Veni, Creator Spiritus is a 9th-century hymn that the Church sings on great occasions: at Pentecost, at ordinations, and at the start of a conclave. Saint John Paul II recounted that when he was 11 years old, he struggled greatly with mathematics; his father taught him this hymn from a little book and told him to pray it, that the Holy Spirit would help him understand. He prayed it every day from then on. This is our translation of the Latin text:
Come, Creator Spirit,
visit the souls of your own
and fill with divine grace
the hearts you created.You, whom we call Comforter,
gift of the Most High God,
living fountain, fire, love
and anointing of the soul.You give the seven gifts,
finger of the hand of God;
you, the promise of the Father,
who put the word in our lips.Kindle your light in our senses,
pour your love into our hearts
and sustain with your constant strength
the weakness of our body.Drive the enemy away from us,
give us peace soon;
go before us as a guide
and we will avoid all evil.May we through you know the Father
and also know the Son,
and that in you, Spirit of both,
we may always believe.Glory to God the Father,
to the Son who rose again
and to the Comforter Spirit
forever and ever. Amen.V. Send your Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And you will renew the face of the earth.Let us pray: O God, who have illuminated the hearts of your children with the light of the Holy Spirit; make us docile to your Spirit so that we may always taste what is good and enjoy his comfort. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
4. The prayer for the seven gifts of Saint John Paul II
It is also prayed as “the prayer of John Paul II”: a petition for the seven gifts, one by one, very much in line with what he himself recalled learning from his father.
Holy Spirit, I ask you for the gift of Wisdom, to know you better and your divine perfections;
the gift of Understanding, to clearly comprehend the spirit of the mysteries of faith;
the gift of Counsel, to live according to the principles of that faith;
the gift of Knowledge, to always seek counsel in you and always find it in you;
the gift of Fortitude, so that no fear or earthly worry may separate me from you;
the gift of Piety, to always serve you with the love of a child;
and the gift of Fear of God, to fear sin, which offends you, oh my God.
Amen.
5. Come, Spirit of love and peace! (Saint John Paul II, 1998)
Saint John Paul II dedicated 1998, the second year of preparation for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, to the Holy Spirit, and composed this prayer for that year. It is a prayer for the Church and for the whole world: for the unity of Christians, for the sick and those who suffer, for science, and for peace.
Holy Spirit, sweet guest of the soul, show us the deep meaning of the great jubilee and prepare our spirit to celebrate it with faith, in the hope that does not disappoint, in the charity that expects no reward.
Spirit of truth, who know the depths of God, memory and prophecy of the Church, guide humanity so that it may recognize in Jesus of Nazareth the Lord of glory, the Savior of the world, the culmination of history.
Come, Spirit of love and peace!
Creator Spirit, mysterious artisan of the Kingdom, guide the Church with the strength of your holy gifts to courageously cross the threshold of the new millennium and bring to the generations to come the light of the Word that saves.
Spirit of holiness, divine breath that moves the universe, come and renew the face of the earth. Awaken in Christians the desire for full unity, so that they may truly be in the world a sign and instrument of the intimate union with God and of the unity of the human race.
Come, Spirit of love and peace!
Spirit of communion, soul and support of the Church, make the richness of the charisms and ministries contribute to the unity of the Body of Christ, and that the laity, the consecrated, and the ordained ministers collaborate together in the building of the one kingdom of God.
Spirit of comfort, inexhaustible fountain of joy and peace, awaken solidarity with those in need, give the sick the necessary encouragement, instill confidence and hope in those who suffer, increase in all the commitment for a better world.
Come, Spirit of love and peace!
Spirit of wisdom, who illuminate the mind and the heart, guide the path of science and technology in the service of life, of justice, and of peace. Make the dialogue with the members of other religions fruitful, and may the diverse cultures open up to the values of the Gospel.
Spirit of life, through whom the Word became flesh in the womb of the Virgin, woman of silence and listening, make us docile to the signs of your love and always ready to receive the signs of the times that you put in the course of history.
Come, Spirit of love and peace!
To you, Spirit of love, together with the almighty Father and the only begotten Son, praise, honor, and glory forever and ever. Amen.
6. Holy Spirit, soul of my soul (Fr. José Kentenich)
Father José Kentenich, founder of the Schoenstatt Movement, left this prayer of surrender: to ask the Holy Spirit to make known to us what God wants from us and the strength to say yes. Very beautiful for moments of discernment or difficulty.
Holy Spirit, you are the soul of my soul, I adore you humbly.
Enlighten me, strengthen me, guide me, comfort me.
And as it corresponds to the plan of the eternal Father God, reveal your desires to me.
Make known to me what the eternal Love desires in me.
Make known to me what I must accomplish.
Make known to me what I must suffer.
Make known to me what I must accept, bear, and endure with silent modesty and in prayer.Yes, Holy Spirit, make known to me your will and the will of the Father.
For all my life I do not want to be anything else but a continuous, perpetual Yes to the desires and the will of the eternal Father God.
7. Prayer to ask for the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
A traditional prayer, ideal for those preparing for Confirmation: it asks for each gift and explains what it is used for in daily life.
Come, Creator Spirit, visit the souls of the faithful, and flood with your grace the hearts you created.
Spirit of Wisdom, who know my most secret thoughts and my most intimate desires, good and bad: enlighten me and make me know what is good to do it, and what is bad to sincerely detest it.
Intensify my interior life, through the gift of Understanding.
Counsel me in my doubts and hesitations, through the gift of Counsel.
Give me the necessary energy in the fight against my passions, through the gift of Fortitude.
Envelop all my conduct in a supernatural atmosphere, through the gift of Knowledge.
Make me feel your child in all the vicissitudes of life, and that I may come to you, like a child, with filial affection, through the gift of Piety.Grant me that I may venerate and love you as you deserve; that I may walk with caution on the path of good, guided by the gift of holy Fear of God; that I may fear sin more than any other evil; that I would rather lose everything than your grace; and that one day I may reach that happy dwelling where you will be our Light and Comfort, and like a tender mother, you will wipe “every tear from our eyes,” where there is no weeping or pain, but eternal happiness. So be it.
8. Prayer to ask for the fruits of the Holy Spirit
The gifts are the strength that the Holy Spirit puts in us; the fruits are what is noticeable on the outside when we let him act. This prayer asks for them one by one:
Spirit of Charity, make us love God and our neighbors as you want us to love them.
Spirit of Joy, grant us holy joy, proper to those who live in your grace.
Spirit of Peace, grant us your peace, that peace which the world cannot give.
Spirit of Patience, teach us to endure the adversities of life without inquiring why they happen and without complaining.
Spirit of Kindness, make us judge and treat everyone with sincere benevolence and a smiling face, a reflection of your infinite gentleness.
Spirit of Goodness, grant us to give ourselves for others and pour out with full hands as many good works as you inspire us.
Spirit of Fortitude, teach us to endure the inconveniences and weaknesses of others, as we wish they would endure ours.
Spirit of Meekness, make us meek and humble of heart, following the example of the Divine Heart of Jesus, the masterpiece of creation.
Spirit of Faith, grant us not to waver in our faith and always live according to the teachings of Christ, illuminated by your holy inspirations.
Spirit of Modesty, teach us to be modest with ourselves, so as never to serve as a temptation to others.
Spirit of Temperance, make us pure and clean in our interior life, and energetic in rejecting anything that could stain the white garment of grace.
Spirit of Chastity, grant us victory over ourselves; make us prudent and chaste, sober and mortified, persevering in prayer and lovers of you, oh God of beautiful Love. So be it.
9. Consecration and petition to the Holy Spirit
A complete prayer to renew the surrender to the Holy Spirit: it asks for light, strength, gives thanks, and ends with a petition for perseverance. Very beautiful to pray slowly, on a retreat day or on the day of Confirmation.
Holy Spirit, Divine Comforter and Guest of my soul, I adore you, I praise you, and I bless you. I consecrate myself to you again today, so that you may invade me with your grace, order my faculties and senses, enlighten me, strengthen me, calm me, and bless me.
Flood my intelligence with your light to know:
your divine will;
what I can and should do;
what I should and can modify;
what does not depend on me to change;
how I should conduct myself in the events of life.Strengthen my will with the gift of fortitude:
to constantly fulfill my duty;
faithfully observe my promises;
conform to your will;
face problems and difficulties;
fight effectively against evil;
endure inconveniences and illnesses;
to be kind, tolerant, and patient.I give you thanks:
for having made me a Christian;
for enabling me to know and love you;
for having infused in me devotion toward you;
for having filled me with graces and favors.I ask you to help me:
to persevere in your love;
to live and act in communion with you;
to make your gifts bear fruit in me;
to remain faithful to your inspirations;
to generously support your desires;
to avoid what saddens and offends you;
to extend your reign among my neighbors;
and to contemplate you eternally in heaven.
10. Prayer of Saint Augustine
Short, powerful, and easy to learn by heart. Very beautiful to pray in family or with children.
Holy Spirit, inspire us, so that we may think holy thoughts.
Holy Spirit, incite us, so that we may act holy deeds.
Holy Spirit, draw us, so that we may love holy things.
Holy Spirit, strengthen us, so that we may defend holy things.
Holy Spirit, help us, so that we may never lose holy things.
11. “You who make everything clear”
A popular prayer of thanksgiving and trust, very much prayed in Spain and Hispanic America, which also asks for the gift of forgiving.
Holy Spirit, you who make everything clear to me, who illuminate all paths so that I may reach my ideal; you who give me the divine gift of forgiving and forgetting the evil done to me, and who are with me at all moments of my life.
In this short dialogue I want to thank you for everything and confirm that I never want to separate from you, no matter how great the material illusion. I desire to be with you and with all my loved ones in perpetual glory.
Thank you for your mercy toward me and mine.
Thank you, my God.
12. Come, Divine Spirit! The Pentecost Sequence
Together with the Veni Creator, it is the great ancient hymn to the Holy Spirit: the Veni, Sancte Spiritus, written around the year 1200 and attributed to Archbishop Stephen Langton. It is sung at the Sunday Mass of Pentecost, just before the Gospel, and you can also pray it at home with the missal or in your parish. This is its beginning in Latin:
Veni, Sancte Spiritus,
et emitte caelitus
lucis tuae radium.
Veni, pater pauperum,
veni, dator munerum,
veni, lumen cordium.
In its stanzas it calls the Holy Spirit “father of the poor,” “light of the hearts,” and “sweet guest of the soul”; it asks for rest in work, comfort in weeping, and that he heal what is wounded, and ends by asking for his seven gifts and eternal joy.
When to pray to the Holy Spirit
- Every morning, with the “Come, Holy Spirit” or the prayer of Saint Augustine.
- Before studying, an exam, or a meeting, with the one of Cardinal Verdier or the “Come, Creator Spirit,” as Saint John Paul II.
- When you have to make a decision, with the prayer of Fr. Kentenich or asking for the gift of counsel.
- In preparation for Confirmation, with the prayers to ask for the gifts and the fruits, and on the day of Confirmation with the consecration.
- For the Church and for the world, with “Come, Spirit of love and peace!”.
- At Pentecost and in the novena that precedes it, the oldest of the Church: the one the apostles prayed with the Virgin.
A gift for Confirmation
Confirmation is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit, and a medal is the perfect reminder of that day: something you always carry and that reminds us that we never go alone. You have ideas in Meaningful religious gifts: what to give on each occasion and in our collection of Confirmation gifts.
Medals to give for Confirmation
The most beautiful medals in the world are at Khartes.
Marian and Bárbara
The most beautiful medals are at www.khartesmadrid.com. Follow us on Instagram: @khartesmadrid.