Come, Holy Spirit — The Classic Prayer of Invitation

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of thy love.

Amen.

About This Prayer

This short invocation has been prayed for well over a thousand years, growing out of the church's ancient Pentecost prayers — the same family as the Latin hymns Veni Creator Spiritus and Veni Sancte Spiritus. Its author is unknown; its staying power is not hard to explain. In one breath it asks for the two things every believer needs: God's presence within, and a heart set on fire with love. Christians of nearly every tradition pray it before worship, before study, before hard conversations — before anything that needs more than human strength.

In Plain Words

In your own words, this prayer simply says: Holy Spirit, come. Fill my heart — don't leave any room empty. And light a fire of love in me that I could never light myself.

A Verse to Hold On To

"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" — Luke 11:13 (KJV)