For every single one of us, there comes a moment at some point in our lives that we experience something so deeply, so profoundly that we are marked by it, yet when we try to describe it to a friend, words fail. When we attempt to convey all our emotions and thoughts of that special day, nothing we say or show captures it. Yet our inability to explain our experience does not nullify it. It’s still as real as ever.
Like the moment we held that special baby who immediately opened our hearts wide open. Or like the time we stood at the threshold of a breathtaking scene from atop a mountain or near the ocean. Despite all the pictures and stories and expressive hand-gesturing, we cannot recreate the moment for others. Yet the experience remains as real within our bodies as the day we had it.
This is what authors of the biblical narrative ran into as they attempted to convey what God is like. He is so beyond anything that we know or see or experience in our world that words fall short, so they employed figurative language to help us understand that, for instance, when God comes to earth, He sometimes descends like a dove. Such a simile helps us, the readers, the ones seeking to know God better, make a connection between what is known (a dove) with what is impossible to describe with accuracy or adequacy (God).
So as we seek to know more about Holy Spirit, who is God’s holy presence here on earth, we will continue to explore Scripture for more picture-words that aid our understanding and experience of Him. And for today’s adventure, we’ll turn right back to page one of the Bible where we see the Spirit as breath.
Ruach
We’re right back where we were last week – at the most magnificent, momentous event ever. Creation. And our author chose words to help us grasp the ungraspable:
“…the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.”
Genesis 1:2b-3 NIV
If we could read the phrase ‘Spirit of God’ in the original Hebrew, we would understand that the ‘ruach of God’ is His breath. The psalmist adopts similar language to help us experience even the tiniest bit of what God accomplished the day His Spirit and Word stepped into the work of creation:
“The Lord merely spoke,
Psalm 33:6 NLT, emphasis mine
and the heavens were created.
He breathed the word,
and all the stars were born.”
Images evoked by words help us comprehend with more fullness what was happening at Creation. We already know that the Spirit of God hovered like a brooding bird, preparing and protecting with power. And now we can add to that picture – God “breathing on the unformed chaos.”1 “By the ruakh of his mouth” God ushered in new life.2 Air, water, land. Stars, birds, fish, animals.
And if we keep reading, some Spirit-words leap out at us on the sixth day when God formed man and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (Genesis 2:7). God breathed on humanity, giving them oxygen, yes. Giving them life, of course! But more than that, He bestowed on them “personhood, vitality, and fellowship capacity.”3 This kind of breath was not given to anything else in all of creation.
For we have been given a spirit from the Spirit, the One who breathed life into us.4
The image of Holy Spirit as the breath of God carries forward in the biblical narrative, helping us to expand our limited understanding of God’s creative, life-giving work that spans well-beyond Creation. For instance, the psalmist “links every creature’s continued existence to the Spirit’s ongoing work:”5
“when you take away their breath,
Psalm 104:29b-30 NIV, emphasis mine
they die and return to the dust.
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.”
Here we see how the writers of the Old Testament interchange the meanings of ruach, which can mean simply ‘breath’ or ‘spirit’ or ‘the breath of God’ or ‘Holy Spirit’. Such a play with language is designed to give us greater insight into the One who is constantly in the business of renewing life.
Later, in the historical narrative of Scripture, we’re given glimpses of Holy Spirit coming upon specially chosen people, such as the kings Saul and David, for a specific task or season. Saul, for example, lost favor with God for his continual disobedience so the ruach was taken from him (1 Samuel 16:14). That same Spirit was then given to young David (v.13). In these cases, the Spirit of God imparted (or removed) gifts of prophecy, wisdom, and leadership as was needed.5
The prophets incorporate ruach well over thirty times in their writings in reference to the Spirit of God, often acknowledging their own gifts of discernment and prophecy as coming from that holy Breath (see Isaiah 61:1). They also write of a day when “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on [Messiah]” (Isaiah 11:2). Such prophecies look ahead to a time when the giving of God’s Spirit will not only rest permanently on Jesus but also on His followers. This pouring out of the Spirit on all God’s people is a promise that God will one day take up residence in His people – forever (Joel 2:28-29; John 14:16).
Before we leap ahead to the Day of Pentecost, it’s good to note that ruach is also employed by Old Testament writers as an onomatopoeia for ‘wind’ – because the word ruach not only sounds like an exhale but also like blowing wind as it moves through trees. As such, there are moments in God’s story where ‘wind’ is treated as a theological sign.5 Like when God ‘remembered’ Noah and sent a wind over the earth to dry it (Genesis 8:1). Or how God sent a strong west wind to lift the plagues in Egypt (Exodus 10:19).
Breath. Wind. Spirit. The ruach of the Lord brings life, gifts His people, blows in the power of God, and ushers in His presence.
Pneuma
If we were reading the Bible together, cover-to-cover, we would now arrive at the moment of the story that has been building since the beginning. Jesus’ baptism – where God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit make a rare appearance together. Where the Divine Dove alights upon the Savior, anointing and empowering Him for ministry. Where John the Baptist speaks the words aloud that Jesus will be the One to baptize all believers with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11).
Like ruach, the Greek word for ‘spirit’, pneuma, can denote breath or wind or any general spirit, but most often pneuma indicates the Spirit of God. And, often, when we see ‘wind’ in the New Testament, it’s a picture of divine activity (see John 3:8).6
In fact, the third chapter of John is a beautiful lesson on understanding the role and work of Holy Spirit in this new covenant era. For context, this is the chapter in which Jesus meets a curious Pharisee, Nicodemus, under the cover of night. Nicodemus asks many of the questions we do about who Jesus is and what He’s about.
In verse three, Jesus explains that anyone who wants to enter God’s kingdom must be ‘born again’, which opens up the rest of the conversation. Jesus clarifies that to enter the kingdom of God, one must be born of water and pneuma, or Spirit – that flesh births flesh and Spirit births spirit (v.6).
Then Jesus immediately tries to help His student grasp this new idea with something that is known: wind, also pneuma. Just like the Holy Spirit, we cannot see wind, but we can observe its effects; we can hear it but cannot know from where it comes or where it will go next (v.8).
“So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (v.8).
Born again. Re-birth, re-newal in Christ. Only Holy Spirit can accomplish the renewing of a person who chooses to follow Jesus, which is a process theologians refer to as regeneration (see Titus 3:5 ESV). Regeneration, or re-birth, happens when God our Savior “washes away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit” (v.5). Paul continually unpacks this process, this holy happening, throughout his letters, calling this transformation of heart and mind our “new nature” or our “new self” (Ephesians 4:24). It’s the “new life” given to a person who was once dead in their sins (2 Corinthians 5:15-17).
In other words: new creation.
The Spirit who breathed life into chaos and humanity at Creation continues to breathe new life. Into new creation.
The Spirit who showed up regularly, but never permanently, in the lives of God’s people under the old covenant, blows in like a windstorm on the Day of Pentecost, fulfilling every prophecy about life in Christ (Acts 2:1-2). Accomplishing all the promises of God the Father in God the Son through God the Spirit. Filling every believer of all time – for all time. As in, forever.
Dry Bones
You, believer in Jesus, child of God – you are filled by Holy Spirit.
Even though it may not always feel like it, the Breath of God dwells in us all the time. However, there are days we feel more like dry bones than enlivened spirits. So when we feel like we’ve been dropped into the middle of a valley of dry bones, we can trust that this is when the Spirit of the Lord leans in to ask us, “Can these bones live?” (see Ezekiel 37:1-3).
We can remember the word of the Lord – “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life” (vv.5-6). We can cling to the truth that the ruach of God has been breathed in us – in our birth and in our re-birth (vv.9-10,14; John 3:6).
We can picture the way Jesus breathed onto His disciples, inviting them to receive the coming Holy Spirit (John 20:22), offering “his breath for their lungs, his Spirit for their dry bones.”1 We can imagine the way the Holy Wind rushed in just. as. promised. Even though words fail to capture the experience of Pentecost fully, we can trust it was real. For then. And for now.
So every day till we breathe our last, we can call out to Holy Spirit for a fresh re-filling of His pneuma, again and again (Ephesians 5:18). He offers renewed life for dry bones. Renewed creation for weary souls. Spirit for spirit.
Breathe in the breath of God, my friend.
Today, the words for our prayer are pulled from three different worship songs. May these words become our heartfelt prayer:7
Spirit sound, rushing wind
Fire of God fall within
Holy Ghost
Breathe on us, we pray
As we repent, turn from sin
Revival embers smouldering
Breath of God
Fan us into flame
We need a fresh wind
The fragrance of Heaven
Pour Your Spirit out
Pour Your Spirit out
This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me
This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me
And I’m desperate for You
And I’m lost without You
This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
It’s Your breath in our lungs
So we pour out our praise
In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
[Please remember that throughout this series, we want to move through information gathering to Holy Spirit experiencing. As such, I will be adding an ‘experience’ of Holy Spirit each week in our “Rhythms” section below. I hope you’ll jump down there to see how you might stretch yourself in the way of experiencing more of the Spirit in your life. You can trust I’m doing the same!!]
Resources: I love sharing with you the books, podcasts, articles, and anything else that has inspired, encouraged, or taught me. These are humble offerings with no expectations.
- 1 – Tyler Staton’s book, Familiar Stranger^ has a great chapter on Holy Spirit as “Breath”
- 2 – Tim Mackie on The Bible Project Podcast about Holy Spirit
- 3 – Biblehub on naphach, the action of breathing
- 4 – This GotQuestions article on the Breath of Life
- 5 – Biblehub on ruach, the breath of God, the Holy Spirit
- 6 – Biblehub on pneuma, the Spirit or breath or wind of God
- 7 – Today’s prayer is taken from “Fresh Wind” by Hillsong + “Breathe” by Worship Circle + “Great Are You, Lord” by One Sonic Society – all three of which are on our Holy Spirit Playlist on Spotify.
- I actually have a playlist called “Dry Bones” that I’ve been randomly throwing songs into for a few years; I’ve linked it on the chance that you want to go a little deeper in that theme. If you like using song lyrics as words for heartfelt prayer and you have someone in your life who does not yet know Jesus personally, I recommend Lauren Daigle’s song “Come Alive.” Wow! What lyrics – packed with Scripture and the theology of Holy Spirit breathing new life into those who remain dead in sin. XOXO
- Many of you have found me on Substack. Thank you so much! And, if you’d like to listen to (rather than read) these weekly posts, you can do so on Substack. It’s easy to see and use the audio bar across the top of each post. While you’re on Substack, check out the ministry I’m blessed to be part of, the Devoted Collective.
- My monthly newsletter, The Abiding Life, goes to email inboxes the first week of each month to those who have subscribed on my website. I also post them on Substack. My most recent edition can be found there, and you can subscribe for future newsletters on Substack, here.
Rhythms: As my newsletter’s title infers, we seek to develop an abiding life in this space — a place where we can get informed but also be transformed as we learn to abide in God’s presence throughout our days. I like to think that developing rhythms is one way to aid us in our desire to become more Christlike.
- The rhythm we’ll employ for our summer Holy Spirit series falls in the category of a weekly experience. This week we want to focus on experiencing the life-giving, renewing presence of Holy Spirit in us by adopting a practice called…BREATH Prayers!
Breath Prayers are short prayers that combine the cleansing, calming, centering breaths we inhale and exhale with a short phrase that we repeat as prayers. The phrase can be a partial verse, a name of God, a truth about God. The first half of the phrase is prayed on the inhale, the second half on the exhale.
It’s believed that the first Breath Prayer originated with our desert fathers and mothers in the fourth century with what is now called “The Jesus Prayer.” We can make this our breath prayer anytime:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God | have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Using verses as Breath Prayers, examples:- “God remains” (inhale) | “the strength of my heart” (exhale) — Psalm 73:26 NLT
- “The Lord is my shepherd” (inhale) | “I lack nothing” (exhale) — Psalm 23:1 NIV
- “Those who hope in the Lord” (inhale) | “will renew their strength.” (exhale) — Isaiah 40:31 NIV
- “God has not given (inhale) | “a spirit of fear” (exhale) + “but of power and love” (inhale) | “and a sound mind” (exhale) — 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV
- Let us picture ourselves INHALING God’s Holy Breath and EXHALING every stress and worry. May the Breath of God do a work of renewal in each of us! New Life. New Creation. Breathe in the breath of God, my friend!
- We’re all called to share the truth about who Jesus is. One way you can do that is by sharing this site and telling others your own stories of faith experiences. May we use our whole selves to tell others about our holy God!!
Featured Photo by Sandy Burton of a stained glass window, entitled “Breath,” found in the Church of the Holy Spirit in Lebanon, New Jersey
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, Jesus stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22).
“All the Bits and Pieces” Photo by Zrng N Gharib on Unsplash.
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