Prayer of the Third Hour

As Christians we hope to walk in the Light of Christ every day. At least that is the prayer of the First Hour which we discussed yesterday. If we walk in the Light of Christ that also means that we walk in the His shadow, living like He lived. That brings us to the Third Hour.

Lord, Who sent down Your Holy Spirit in the third hour to Your Apostles; take not Your Spirit from us, but rather restore Your Spirit in us who pray to You, O Good One. You are blessed, O Christ our God, Who made the fishermen wise by sending down Your Holy Spirit. Through them You have captured the world into their nets. Glory to You, O Lover of Mankind!

On Holy Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended at the Third Hour upon the Holy Apostles. From that moment, the Holy Spirit has never stopped guided the Church to a life in Christ. Our daily prayer at the Third Hour, traditionally set at 9am, is for the Holy Spirit to guide us also.

We cannot depend upon our own discernment of the truth. We are sinful and prone to our own understanding. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. If you want to walk in the Light of Christ and Live A New Life In Christ, you need the Holy Spirit.

We can’t go it alone. Adam and Eve tried and failed. History is filled with examples of those who tried and failed. This is one reason Great Lent is a communal journey in the Church. We are all working together, guided by the Holy Spirit, to grow closer to Christ.

Modern Christians spend a great deal of time talking about Jesus as if the Holy Spirit isn’t important. The Holy Spirit has been involved in creation from the beginning, and will continue to be part of our life, if we want. There’s that free will thing again.

The Holy Spirit guides us, but only if we want to be guided. We can’t pray to God and think that ends our struggle. Around every corner the devil is lurking to distract us. The Holy Spirit works through the Church to bring us back in focus. Great Lent is about getting back in focus.

Set your smart device to remind you daily at 9am to pause for a moment and be reminded of the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to make up the prayer. Its ready and waiting for you, inspired by the same Holy Spirit. Let the Third Hour be your daily reminder to trust the Church.

Happy Praying.