Prayer:Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Stored: Prayer to the Holy Spirit
| Prayer to the Holy Spirit | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
Among the most beloved invocations in the treasury of Christian prayer, the Prayer to the Holy Spirit attributed to St. Augustine of Hippo holds a singular place of honour. Its compact yet profoundly theological structure reflects the characteristic genius of Augustine, who throughout his life sought to draw every faculty of the human person — thought, work, love, strength, and perseverance — into total consecration to God. The prayer is a fivefold petition addressed directly to the Holy Spirit, each verse a breath of surrender and desire.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 A.D.), Bishop, Doctor of the Church, and one of the greatest intellectual and spiritual giants of Christianity, wrote extensively on the Holy Spirit in his masterwork De Trinitate and throughout his Sermons and Letters. While the precise manuscript origin of this particular prayer remains a matter of scholarly discussion, it has been consistently attributed to his tradition and spirit, echoing the pneumatological depth found throughout his authentic writings.
This prayer has been prayed by the faithful for centuries in private devotion, as a morning offering, before study or labor, and as preparation for the Sacraments. Its rhythmic, anaphoric structure makes it easily memorized and naturally suited to contemplative recitation.
The Prayer
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit,
- that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit,
- that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit,
- that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit,
- to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit,
- that I always may be holy.
History and Background
St. Augustine of Hippo was born in 354 A.D. in Thagaste, in Roman North Africa (present-day Algeria). After a celebrated and turbulent youth, his conversion to Catholic Christianity in 386 A.D., recounted with breathtaking honesty in his Confessions, gave the Church one of her most tireless champions. He was ordained a priest in 391 A.D. and consecrated Bishop of Hippo Regius in 396 A.D., a see he served until his death in 430 A.D. as the Vandals besieged the city.
Augustine's theology of the Holy Spirit is woven throughout his corpus. In De Trinitate, he expounds the Holy Spirit as the mutual Love of the Father and the Son, the bond of the divine communion who is poured into the hearts of the faithful (cf. Romans 5:5). This pneumatological vision underpins the prayer attributed to him: the Holy Spirit is addressed not as a distant power but as an intimate divine Guest who breathes, acts, draws, strengthens, and guards the soul from within.
The fivefold structure of the prayer mirrors the Augustinian conviction that the whole person must be transformed by grace — intellect (thoughts), will expressed in action (work), affectivity (heart and love), courage (strength to defend), and final perseverance (always may be holy). This corresponds closely to the classical theological understanding of the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2–3 and developed throughout the Catholic tradition.
Although some scholars note that the prayer cannot be traced to a single verified Augustinian text and may represent a later compilation inspired by his writings and spiritual legacy, its attribution to Augustine is ancient and venerable. It appears in numerous approved Catholic prayer books, devotional manuals, and liturgical supplements across many centuries and several continents. The Church has consistently embraced it as part of the Augustinian patrimony of prayer.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
This prayer is ideally suited for the following occasions and practices:
Before Study or Intellectual Work: Augustine is the patron of theologians, scholars, and students. Praying this prayer before engaging in study or teaching places one's mind under the direct influence of the Spirit of Truth (cf. John 16:13) and honors the saint's lifelong pursuit of wisdom ordered toward God.
Morning Offering: The prayer's movement through thoughts, work, love, strength, and perseverance makes it an excellent consecration of the entire coming day. It may be prayed immediately upon rising, offering every faculty to the Holy Spirit before the day's activities begin.
Before the Sacraments: Particularly before the Sacrament of Confirmation, which confers the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit in fullness, and before the Sacrament of Reconciliation, this prayer disposes the soul to receive divine grace with openness and humility.
Novena or Daily Devotion: The prayer may serve as a closing or opening prayer for a novena to the Holy Spirit, particularly during the nine days between the Feast of the Ascension and Pentecost Sunday, mirroring the nine days of prayer the Apostles spent with Our Lady in the Upper Room (cf. Acts 1:14).
Contemplative Repetition: Each of the five petitions may be taken individually as a subject for lectio divina or silent meditation, dwelling on what it means to have the Holy Spirit breathe into one's thoughts, act in one's work, draw one's heart, strengthen one's courage, and guard one's perseverance in holiness.
When praying this prayer, it is recommended to pause briefly after each petition, allowing the words to penetrate the heart before continuing. The faithful may conclude with a Glory Be or an Act of Love as a fitting doxological response.