Praying the Holy Spirit

by Amy McGinnis  

 

A 2024 study published by the National Library of Medicine revealed members of the sandwich generation, those who are caring for aging parents as well as children, have a greater risk of increased psychological distress. When I heard about this study earlier this year, I laughed out loud. Between December 2024 and the present, my father has been hospitalized twice and had two separate stays at a skilled nursing facility before he was transferred permanently to assisted living. Within the past few months, my mother also faced health challenges and was hospitalized for three days herself.  These months were also challenging since I am an only child, am married, have a very active 16-year-old son, and live 4 hours away from my parents. The news of the research study did not come as a surprise to me but rather confirmed something I was experiencing firsthand: caring for multiple generations of family members is exhausting. 

As I have worked to figure out how to live my days at this stage of life, I have found encouragement in the book of Colossians. In the first chapter Paul prays over the church in Colossae asking God to fill them with the knowledge and power of the Holy Spirit. I was moved when I read this prayer and decided to re-write it in the first person: 

I continually ask you, God, to fill me with the knowledge of your will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that I may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that I may have great endurance and patience. (Colossians 1:9-11; edited into first-person) 

I have found myself speaking this prayer over and over because I have recognized my own wisdom and strength is not enough to carry me through this season of life. I say this prayer not just for strength and wisdom in big decisions but also in my daily moments of weakness.  I say this prayer when my tiredness threatens to shatter my endurance to make it through an 8-hour workday. I say this prayer when my impatience makes it difficult to connect with my husband in meaningful conversation. 

There is a belief prevalent in American society that we have the strength within ourselves to meet any challenges we come across in this life. I have found this belief to be a myth. I do not have what it takes to make it through this life in my own strength. Thankfully, because I am a beloved child of God, I am not on my own. Even though I know this, I still sometimes forget and need ways to remind myself that I do not have to rely on my own strength. In addition to praying the prayer I outlined above, I have found it helpful to take time in the middle of the day to re-center myself on God. Sometimes this looks like reading Scripture, sometimes it’s a quick two-minute prayer, and sometimes I listen to a song that reminds me of the Holy Spirit’s power. 

As we continue to journey together to become more like Jesus, I encourage you to consider how you might remind yourself throughout your days that the power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive within you. Remember, God cares about every small detail of our lives (Psalm 37:23) and every moment we are breathing is an opportunity to live in His power. 

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Holy Spirit: He Is, He Can