Holy Alive: The Breath of God Issue 04

Description

Consider that the Hebrew word (OT) for “spirit” is “ruach,” which can mean “spirit,” “wind,” and “breath.” The Greek word (NT) for “spirit” is “pneuma”, which can also mean “wind” or “breath.” This is why “wind” is a Biblical symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the scripture underscores that God’s breath gives life to all people (cf. Acts 17.25; Gen.2.7; Job 33.4, etc). Like wind, God’s Spirit is invisible, powerful, and creates measurable effect.

Now, just for a moment, think about how this little linguistics lesson heightens your imagination of God, of prayer, and of being filled with the Spirit. Prayer is like breathing—the more we pray, the more oxygenated we become. Prayer is a continuous conversation, and in the same way we can’t go without oxygen for more than a few minutes, we cannot persist without prayer. This issue of Holy Alive explores the overlap between breathing, prayer, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.