The Akathist to the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit

For all Akathists published on our site, click here. This Akathist was translated by Maxim, who kindly asks all Orthodox Christians to keep him in their prayers for his repentance. Original source at the bottom. Explore more prayer: Akathists to Christ and the Holy Trinity

This Akathist to the Holy Spirit is of great benefit to all who seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control, purity—in short, anyone who longs for eternal life in Christ, bestowed through the Holy Spirit, the Giver of Life and the Bestower of immortal light.

Kontakion 1

Come, all you faithful, let us glorify the descent of the Holy Spirit. He who, from the bosom of the Father, descended upon the Apostles, covering the earth as with waters with the knowledge of God, and making those who run to Him for purification worthy of the life-giving grace of the Resurrection and of the glory on high, sanctifying and deifying those who cry out: ‘Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!’

Ikos 1

The angels with radiant faces in heaven ceaselessly glorify the Holy Spirit, as is fitting for the Source of life and the Incorporeal Light. Together with them we too glorify You, O Spirit beyond the grasp of the mind, for Your hidden mercies, and with humility we pray that we may be sheltered beneath Your blessed shadow:

Come, True Light, Spiritual Joy;

Come, Dew-bearing Cloud and Unspeakable Beauty;

Come and accept our praise as a fragrant spiritual offering;

Come and grant us a share in the joy of Your coming;

Come and gladden us with the abundance of Your gifts;

Come, Eternal Sun, unapproachable, and make Your dwelling within us;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 2

In the form of tongues of fire, in light and a breath of joy-giving wind, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles; and, being enfolded by His flame, these fishermen called the whole world to the Church of Christ; enduring tribulations and hardships with joy on land and sea, they were not daunted by dreadful deaths; and throughout the whole earth the proclamation of their song, inspired by God, resounded: Alleluia!

Ikos 2

Giver of the rain-filled chalice, spring of fire, who descended upon the Apostles on Mount Zion, to You we sing, we bless You and give thanks to You, O God, Holy Spirit:

Come, Thou Who art Holy and guardest the Church;

Come and grant one soul and one heart to those who believe in Thee;

Come and kindle our cold and barren piety;

Come and dispel the darkness of unbelief and wickedness, which thickens upon the earth;

Come and guide us all along the path of righteous living;

Come and lead us into all truth;

Come, Incomparable Wisdom, and save us through Your divine judgments;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 3

O Most Profound Mystery! O God, Spirit beyond the grasp of the mind, Who, together with the Father and the Son, hast created all things! Thou who hast adorned the hosts of angels on high, in the abode of the unapproachable light. You called into being, with the radiance of Your glory, the fiery hosts of the heavenly luminaries. Uniting body and soul in a marvellous composition, You created the human race; for this, all creation praises You and sings: Alleluia!

Ikos 3

Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, You, the Eternal Spirit, with the unfathomable power of Your presence above the waters and with Your loving embrace, have brought all and everything to life. From Your life-giving breath sprang forth, from the formless depths, the beauty of the first-created world, for which we cry out to You:

Come to us, O Most Wise Creator of the world;

Come, You who are Great in the tiny flower, as in the luminaries of the heavens;

Come, Unspeakable Diversity and Eternal Beauty;

Come and enlighten the dark confusion of my soul;

Come and reveal to us the new creation in Christ;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 4

O Most Good and Incomparable Spirit, from whom holiness springs! You clothed the Most Holy Virgin Mary with the dazzling and unapproachable radiance of Your divinity, making her the Mother of God the Word, Queen of the angels, for the salvation of mankind. With power beyond this world, You have overshadowed the prophets and apostles; You have carried them up to the third heaven; You have touched their hearts with heavenly beauty, putting into their speech a fervent exhortation, through which they lead people to God. You transform sinners, and they, filled with burning joy, sing to You: Alleluia!

Ikos 4

Through the Holy Spirit all things live, and by His power all creation shall rise to the general resurrection, at the final hour of this age and the first hour of the age to come. Raise us up then from the grave, O Most Good One, O Comforter, not unto condemnation, but that we may share in bliss, in the divine light, with all the Saints, with our fathers and our loved ones.

Come, then, and deliver us from the death of the soul;

Come, and before our end, satisfy us with the Body and Blood of Christ the Saviour;

Come and grant that we may fall asleep in peace, with an unstained mind;

Come and make our awakening from the sleep of death a radiant one;

Come and make us worthy to gaze with joy upon the clouds of eternity;

Come and make us children of incorruption;

Come and then, like the sun, illuminate our immortal bodies;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 5

Hearing Your voice: ‘If anyone is thirsty, let them come to Me and drink’, we pray to You, Son of God, quench our thirst for the spiritual life and grant us the water of life. Pour out upon us the flood of grace of the Holy Spirit, Who, together with You, has His source in the Father, so that we may never thirst again for ever, all of us who humbly sing: Alleluia!

Ikos 5

O Imperishable and Uncreated One, O Eternal One, O Most Merciful Spirit, Defender of the righteous, Purifier of sinners, deliver us from all defilement, that the radiance of the light of Your grace may not be dimmed within us who sing to You:

Come, Most Good One, and grant us humility and fountains of tears;

Come and teach us to worship You in Spirit and in truth;

Come, Most High Truth, and dispel the doubts of our feeble understanding;

Come, Ageless Life, and deliver us from the straits of this earthly age;

Come, Eternal Light, and all illusions and fears shall vanish;

Come, ever-new Power, refreshing Your weary children;

Come, Boundless Joy, and the sorrows of this world shall be forgotten;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 6

Rejoice, daughter of light, Zion, Holy Mother! Adorned, glorious Bride, together with the heavens, radiant Ecumenical Church of Christ! May the Most Holy Spirit rest upon you, Who heals infirmities, fulfils our needs, grants life to the dead, and brings to eternal life all those who rightly and justly cry out: Alleluia!

Ikos 6

‘In the world you will have tribulation,’ said the Saviour. Where shall we find solace, and who will comfort us? You, O Comforter, Yourself dispel our sorrow! Intercede for us with unutterable groans and lighten the hearts of those who pray to You:

Come, Sweet Refreshment of the weary and burdened;

Come, Co-Intercessor with the imprisoned and Refuge of the persecuted;

Come, and have mercy on those weakened by poverty and hunger;

Come and heal the passions of our bodies and souls;

Come and visit all who thirst for Your light;

Come and soothe our sorrow with the hope of eternal joy;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 7

‘Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come,’ said the Lord. Hearing these solemn words, we tremble, lest we be judged alongside the disobedient and those who fight against God. Do not let, O Holy Spirit, our hearts be drawn to words of deceit. Turn all those who have gone astray away from schisms, heresies and unbelief, and make the firstborn of Your Church worthy to sing for ever and ever: Alleluia!

Ikos 7

When the Holy Spirit departed from Saul, fear and anxiety seized him, and the darkness of despair cast him down to the very depths; so it happened to me too on the day of my sorrow and the hardening of my mind, for I had strayed from Your light; but grant that I may call upon You ceaselessly, the protection of my soul, until Your light illuminates me, who am low in spirit:

Come, then, and do not cast me aside because of my grumbling and impatience;

Come and still the terrible storm of turmoil and fervour;

Come and give rest to those afflicted by life’s hardships;

Come and soothe the heart on the day of hardening and anger;

Come and overthrow the schemes, disturbances and terrors of the spirits of darkness;

Come and grant us, with Your breath, a contrite heart, that through patience we may save our souls;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 8

Save us, Heavenly Father! We are poor, powerless and blind, and spiritually destitute!

Grant us Your gold, purified in fire; cover our shame with a white robe; heal our eyes with Your balm. Pour down also into the unclean vessels of our souls the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit, the Life-giver, making all of us who sing worthy of the joy of the second birth: Alleluia!

Ikos 8

Like the Tower of Babel, earthly happiness crumbles. All human endeavours are pitiful. It is good for me that You have humbled me, that in my sins and failings You have covered all my weakness and worthlessness. Without You we can do nothing, but we hope that we shall be saved through Your grace, saying:

Come, then, O All-Wise Creator of life;

Come and make clear to us Your inscrutable ways;

Come like a flash of lightning and illuminate the end of our earthly life;

Come and bless every good beginning we make;

Come and be our helper in good deeds;

Come and enlighten our minds in times of confusion;

Come and bestow the spirit of repentance, so that through it the evils that are about to befall the world as punishment may be dispelled;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 9

So great was God’s love for the world that He even gave His only-begotten Son, Who was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and Who, as the Creator of the world, stretched out His hands upon the Cross, and through His Blood redeemed the whole world from sin and death! Therefore, as all creation awaits the freedom of the glory of the sons of God, it sings to the Father who loved, the Son who redeemed, and the Spirit who sanctified: Alleluia!

Ikos 9

The Life-giving Spirit, Who descended upon Christ at the Jordan in the form of a dove, also rested upon me when I stood at the font of Holy Baptism; yet the work of His goodness was darkened because of my sins. Therefore, just as the wayfarer lost in the forest at night awaits the dawn, so I long for Your rays, O Good One, lest I perish entirely:

Come, then, to the one sealed with Your awesome Name;

Come, then, and ease this tormented mind, scorched without mercy;

Come and renew within me Your image which has grown dark;

Come and dispel the illusions born of sin;

Come and teach me to share in the sufferings of others;

Come and incline me to love all Your creation;

Come and restore to me the joy of Your salvation;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 10

The Holy Spirit gives man a second birth unto eternal life. The Holy Spirit enlivens the martyrs, sanctifies the priests, crowns the righteous, and transforms bread and wine into the very divine Body and Blood of Christ. O, the depth of God’s riches and wisdom! Grant us the crown of Your gifts: eternal and all-pervading Love, which grieves for sinners and desires that all may be saved through it, as children of light, for whom we cry out: Alleluia!

Ikos 10

Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall distress, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or want, or the sword? Even if we were to be deprived of all things on earth, we have an imperishable inheritance in heaven. But grant us, O Lord, to love You not in word or speech, but in deeds that are true and through the struggle of our whole life:

Come, Almighty Spirit, and increase our all-conquering faith;

Come and grant us boldness in prayer;

Come and warm our hearts, lest our love grow cold because of our many transgressions;

Come and grant that we may not falter in times of persecution and mockery of the faith;

Come and protect us from temptations beyond our strength and from delusions;

Come and revive our hearts through Your dew;

Come, heal us, sanctify us and lift us up, O Good One, with Your grace;

Come, O Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 11

Thus says the Lord: ‘I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions’. Most Beloved Spirit, grant us but a crumb from the table of the chosen sons and daughters of Your Consolations, we who humbly cry out: Alleluia!

Ikos 11

Where You have dawned, even if only for a moment, in that secret place of the soul, shining like a flash of lightning, the beauty of Your revelation is unforgettable, through which the creature of clay is transformed with divine transformation and awe-inspiring reverence. Grant us, O Good Comforter, even in this earthly life, to see You with a pure heart, we who cry out:

Come, Lightning, Giver of the light of eternity;

Come and enlighten us with Your unwaning radiance;

Come, Treasure-Keeper of humility and Joy of the meek;

Come, Living Water, quench the heat of our passions;

Come, for apart from You we find no peace or rest;

Come, for with You the Kingdom of Heaven is everywhere;

Come and imprint upon our souls Your sun-like image;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 12

Inexhaustible river of grace, Thou Who forgivest sins, Holy Spirit! Accept our prayer for the whole world, for the faithful and for the unbelievers, and for the children of disobedience; turn them back to You and gather them all into the Kingdom of the Holy Trinity, so that even the last enemy—death—may be put to shame before You, and the world, reborn from the purifying fire, may sing the new song of immortality: Alleluia!

Ikos 12

I behold in my spirit the city of God – the Heavenly Jerusalem – as an adorned bride, radiant as the sun, in celebration. I hear the rejoicing of the righteous at the Lord’s Supper, I hear the voices of the angels and our All-Radiant Lord Christ amongst His chosen ones, whilst sorrow, grief and sighing have perished. Heavenly King, Holy Spirit, make us worthy, through the sevenfold crown of Your gifts, to share in the Lord’s eternal joy, we who cry out:

Come, O Good One, and awaken in us the thirst for life beyond the grave;

Come and kindle in our hearts the longing for the life of the true age;

Come and reveal to us the joy of the Kingdom to come;

Come and grant us the snow-white radiance of purity;

Come and fill us with the radiance of divinity;

Come and take us to the wedding feast of the Lamb;

Come and make us worthy to reign in Your eternal glory;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 13

O light-bearing sea of saving love, Life-giving Spirit! Warm with the breath of Your coming the human race, frozen in iniquity, hasten the destruction of evil with Your inscrutable judgements, and reveal to us how to celebrate the divine truth for ever, so that God may be all in all, and both the heavenly and the earthly, and those delivered from hell, may sing together: Alleluia!

This kontakion is sung three times.

Ikos 1

Come, True Light, Spiritual Joy;

Come, Dew-bearing Cloud and Unspeakable Beauty;

Come and accept our praise as a fragrant spiritual offering;

Come and grant us a share in the joy of Your coming;

Come and gladden us with the abundance of Your gifts;

Come, Eternal Sun, unapproachable, and make Your dwelling within us;

Come, Comforter, Holy Spirit, and dwell within us!

Kontakion 1

Prayer to the Holy Spirit by Saint Sophrony of Essex

Holy Spirit, Almighty God, Merciful Comforter and Almighty Defender, Giver of Wisdom and Light of Revelation, Who through Your descent have brought the ends of the earth to the one true knowledge of God, come and descend upon us who ever long for You, enlightening and sanctifying us, healing us and comforting us with Your comfort!

Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov, The Prayer of the Experience of Eternal Life, ed. Deisis Sibiu 2007, p. 61

Come, True Light – A Prayer to the Most Holy Spirit by Saint Symeon the New Theologian

Come, true light, come, eternal life, come, ineffable mystery, nameless treasure, image beyond all understanding, endless joy, come, light that never fades, unfailing hope of those who will bring salvation! Come, lifting up of the fallen, come, resurrection of the dead, come, Almighty One, Who hast made all things and transformest all things by Thy will alone! Come, Thou Who canst not be seen nor touched, Thou Who art ever unmoving, yet movest Thyself to descend unto us who dwell in hell! Come, much-longed-for and long-glorified Name, come, eternal joy, come, unfading crown! Come, You whom my tormented soul has so longed for and still longs for, You who have separated me from all things of this world and who have made me worthy to long for You evermore! Come, my breath and my life, come, comfort of my poor soul, come, my joy, my glory and my endless sweetness!

Prayer to God the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Most Gracious Comforter, Spirit of Truth, You who proceed from the Father before all ages and rest eternally in the Son; impartial Source of divine gifts, which You bestow as You will; through whom even we, the unworthy, have been sanctified and anointed on the day of our baptism. Look upon the prayer of Thy servants, come to us and dwell within us, and purify our souls, that we may become a dwelling place for the Most Holy Trinity.

Therefore, O Most Good One, do not be repelled by our impurity, nor by the wounds of our sins; but heal them with Your all-healing anointing. Enlighten our minds, that we may recognise the vanity of the world and of those who are in the world; revive our understanding, that it may ceaselessly teach us what we ought to do and what we ought to reject; purify and renew our hearts, that evil thoughts and ungodly desires may no longer spring up day and night. Tame the body and, with Your dew-giving breath, quench the flame of the passions, through which the most precious Image of God is darkened within us.

And drive from us the spirit of sloth, of sorrow, of the love of dominion, and of idle talk. And grant us the spirit of love and patience, the spirit of gentleness and righteousness, so that, having strengthened our weakened hearts and knees, we may journey without sloth along the path of the holy commandments. And so, shunning all sin and fulfilling all righteousness, may we be deemed worthy to receive a Christian and blameless end, and to enter the Heavenly Jerusalem, and there to worship You, together with the Father and the Son, singing for ever and ever: Holy Trinity, glory to You!

Source: https://doxologia.ro/acatistul-preasfantului-de-viata-facatorului-duh