We have received two communications on the same subject, one from “J. C.” Hallatrow; and the other from “E. K.” Boulogne. Our correspondents seek instruction as to praying to the Holy Spirit, and praying for the Holy Spirit. As to the first of these questions, all true Christians own the Godhead of the Holy Spirit—that He is a divine Person, and not a mere influence; and, therefore, in addressing Him we are addressing God. But when we come to look at the place which He occupies in the economy of grace, the simple idea is that we pray by the Spirit, in the name of Jesus, to the Father. But we must not make a man an offender for a word, and we should certainly deprecate the strong language referred to by “J. C.” But it seems very much the fashion now-a-days for people to hurl the awful charge of “damnable heresy” against their neighbors, who may, after all, be fully as orthodox as their accusers.
As regards the question of praying for the Holy Spirit, we doubt not that many pray for that which they already possess. Scripture teaches us, in manifold places, that all believers do actually possess the Holy Spirit; and there is not much intelligence in praying for what one has. The Christian may long to know more of the Spirit’s unhindered energy and gracious ministry—more of His holy fellowship—more of His blessed unfoldings of Christ to the heart. He may earnestly desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that flesh may be as though it did not exist. All this we can fully understand and enter into. But the idea of praying for the Spirit, as if one had Him not, is a simple giving up of our place as Christians. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.” But if a man prays for the Spirit, it is evident that he does not consider himself possessed thereof, or, in other words, he considers himself none of Christ’s. Oh! that the Holy Spirit might lead all true Christians to “know the things that are freely given to them of God.”