How to Invite the Holy Spirit in for Prayer

The Holy Spirit is the best Prayer Partner one can ever have. He is God’s Spirit, and it is He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead to live in those who believe in Jesus ( But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Romans 8:11). He helps us when we don’t know what to pray for and utters God’s perfect will for us with groanings too deep for words (Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26).

As you are here looking for how to invite the Holy Spirit in for prayer, know that He is most excited to partner with you in prayer. You can say a prayer in this manner:

Holy Spirit, I acknowledge Your presence in Christ Jesus. Thank You for being here, willing to partner with me as I pray and intercede for people. Come and do whatever You want. Show me the Father’s heart and reveal to me what I should pray for in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We are blessed to have been given the Holy Spirit. He is our Guide and Comforter, and He reminds us of everything about Jesus Christ and His Words (see John 16:13). He is always with us wherever we go and whatever we do. 

In the Bible, we can read that Jesus’ disciples first received the Holy Spirit during Pentecost, about seven to ten days after Jesus ascended into heaven. And from then on, the Holy Spirit was with them, giving them the ability to speak in different tongues and languages, heal the sick, perform all kinds of miracles, and preach the Gospel with boldness. (You can read more about this in the Book of Acts).

Nowadays, there are divided claims among Christian groups concerning the Holy Spirit. Some people think the Holy Spirit’s movement fully ceased when the original disciples of Jesus Christ died, and some say that the Holy Spirit is only for the Apostles of Jesus Christ.

But we do know that the Holy Spirit is still here with us and in us. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” And we know that those words were not meant just for the believers in those days but throughout the generations until today. 

And in our times, we continue to witness God’s power at work through the Holy Spirit. There are countless testimonies regarding Jesus’ healing powers, deliverances, restorations, and miracles. The most important thing is that because of the Holy Spirit’s work, hearts are burning and transformed for the Lord Jesus Christ and the advancement of the Kingdom. 

 

Is it necessary to invite the Holy Spirit in for prayer?

In the Bible, there were no instances where the Holy Spirit was invited in through the prayers of the Apostles. But many times He was mentioned as they prayed for the believers, specifically when the Apostle Paul said in (2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

While it isn’t necessary to invite the Holy Spirit every time in prayer, especially if you already have a deep communion and relationship with Him, some pastors or leaders of the church tend to invite the Holy Spirit in through their prayer for the sake of the hearers or members that are new to Christianity.

Inviting a friend to your birthday is like a courtesy to let that friend know he or she is welcome to attend. We know that the Holy Spirit does not violate the free will of men. And when attending church services with diverse thinking and character, calling to invite the Holy Spirit in prayer during such a gathering is necessary so that there will be unity of mind and heart; this way, we welcome God to do whatever He wants. When a person hears those words for the first time, they can confess and agree in their heart that the Holy Spirit is welcome in their lives. In this way, God’s Spirit can freely and powerfully move in the place.

That being said, you may opt to invite the Holy Spirit if there is prompting in your heart to do so. Or you may go on and simply declare the Holy Spirit in your home, your church, and your workplace without necessarily asking Him to come. We know He is always present and waiting for us to respond to the call of God. 

You can say, “Thank You, Holy Spirit, for Your presence is in this place. You are here and You are welcome to do whatever You want in Jesus’ name.”

How to know the Holy Spirit’s presence?

When you invite the Holy Spirit in for prayer, it is impossible for Him not to show up. He will always manifest Himself so that you may give glory to God and praise Him with all your heart. When it comes to knowing the presence of the Holy Spirit, here is what the Bible tells us:

1. There is fruit of the Spirit. 

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” You can always tell the difference between a Spirit-filled believer and a mere believer. A Spirit-filled believer will always have a joyful, gentle spirit full of faith, gentleness, patience, kindness, etc. When you are around this person, you are empowered in Christ. This is one way to know the Holy Spirit’s presence in a person’s life. And every day, we are either led by the Spirit or by our flesh (see Romans 8:13-14). 

2. There is a manifestation of God’s power.

Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judæa, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” This was during Pentecost, the first time the Apostles received the Holy Spirit, and they were able to speak in different languages that were understood by foreign visitors, and Apostle Peter was able to make lame people walk. When God’s spiritual gifts are operating, you know it is because of the Holy Spirit’s presence. When people are healed from incurable diseases or delivered from demonic oppressions, salvation is taking place within the masses. It is the work of the Holy Spirit, and God’s glory is in that place.

3. Authentic miracles, signs, and wonders are taking place, confirming the Word of God preached by the believer.

Mark 16:17-20 says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” 

As the Lord has promised, when a person truly follows and believes in Jesus Christ, there will be signs and wonders confirming the Word. It is the Spirit of God at work to confirm and authenticate the believer’s preachings and testimonies of God’s works so that all may believe in Jesus Christ. 

While these are some of the Biblical references to the Holy Spirit’s presence, we must still be discerning in all our ways. There are different kinds of people who are taking advantage of people’s hunger and thirst for the presence of God in exchange for money and fame, using all kinds of scams. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

More than anything, always be rooted and grounded in God’s Word so that you can discern the truth from lies and hear the Holy Spirit clearly as He illuminates the Scriptures.

May God bless you and continue to empower your relationship with the Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus.