I was taught that I should trust my gut instincts. Malcolm Gladwell called the gut instinct, “Blink” in his famous book of the same name. The idea you do your best thinking when you don’t think at all.

When I was young I tended to mistrust my gut feelings, dismissing them as foolish or unactionable. But as I aged I realized that my gut feelings, the pull towards an idea or person is actually the Holy Spirit guiding me on the path He has chosen for me. 

Is it possible that gut feelings are actually faith in God? Because when I trust myself, am I not actually trusting in the Holy Spirit since He lives within me?  Something to ponder! 

Why am I talking about instinct? Because my gut feeling went on overdrive when I stumbled upon the Liber Hymnorum and specifically the Saint Patrick Breastplate prayer. Before I knew what was happening I found myself inspired to create the prayer below. 

When I read the words “I bind myself to you” I knew this is exactly what we should do with the Holy Spirit. Latch on to him like a baby to its mother and don’t let go.

So here is a brand new prayer to the Holy Spirit based loosely on the original Gaelic version of  Saint Patrick’s Breast Plate prayer known as the Liber Hymnorum. I hope you like it.

I Bind Myself to Thee

Holy Spirit, I bind myself to You, so You will be with me, in front of me and so You can come down upon me.

Holy Spirit, I bind myself to You, so you will stand behind me and within me, at my right and at my left, in my home, and while I work.

Holy Spirit, I bind myself to You, so you are with me in my prayers, while I sleep, when I dream and when I awake.

Holy Spirit, I bind myself to You, so you will be in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, everyone who speaks to me, everyone who sees me, and every ear that hears me.

I bind myself to the Sacred Trinity, the creators of the Universe, unconditionally and fully.

In the name of the Father, Mary’s Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.