In His Spirit: A Guide to Today's Spirituality

by Richard J. Hauser

Nothing will change your life more meaningfully than developing a vibrant and consistent prayer life. Prayer is at the core of the Christian life, but most people have never really been taught how to pray in deeply personal ways. Listening to the Holy Spirit is at the center of prayer, but most of us struggle to recognize the difference between the Holy Spirit speaking to us and the thousands of ideas that float through our minds each day. By reading In His Spirit, you will have a new awareness of all things spiritual. You will see how our modern culture is influencing our efforts to grow spiritually. It is a fascinating look at two models of spirituality viewed from the perspective of the New Testament.

Genres: Religion, Catholic, Spirituality, Faith, Christian

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1982

Reviews

[Keri Zumbahlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because I’ve definitely been eager to learn more about the Holy Spirit and how it can apply now. That being said, there was nothing that really blew me away as far as profound thoughts on the Holy Spirit, but it did make me think. (Also, he is writing from a Catholic perspective, so while I agreed with most of what we said, there were some parts that simply didn’t apply) Most of the book was on the Spirit and prayer, and he gave a lot of helpful advice on accessing a deeper relationship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit in prayer. One of my favorite parts was when he talked about prayer in the Spirit in the presence of God feeling like a quiet inner peace in which we realize that God is present and loves us. He talks about prayer being prompted by the Spirit and simply resting and being guided in His presence. With the Holy Spirit, we have the character of Jesus within us and prayer becomes as easy and spontaneous as talking to a friend. I’ve been fighting for this inner peace for a long time now, and I’ve realized that recently I’ve actually found it, and like he says in this book, that peace is absolutely the presence of God and being able to rest in that.

Reading this has definitely made me more excited and eager to pursue deeper intimacy with the Lord through prayer, and like Hauser says, regardless of our individual callings, “the goal for all of us is the same: to live in tune with the Spirit so that we can both know and do the Father’s will in love each day.”

Love God. Love people. In His Spirit. There you have it.

[Dana Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the content of the book but I found the style academic, almost like a thesis. The best parts are when he shares his own experience to explain his main ideas. It's notable in a few areas that the book was written in 1982. It's not a problem, but makes me wonder how he might update a few things based on changes over the past 30+ years. My biggest takeaway is that you can't shortcut the process of getting closer to God through the Spirit. There are no Holy Spirit hacks.

Chapters 4 and 6 were my favorites. Favorite quotes are:

“Since prayer is the expression of our relationship with God, it will always reflect the quality of tis relationship. In short, if we want to improve our prayer, we must first improve our relationship. I believe that many of us entertain a false assumption that improving prayer is primarily a matter of learning the right techniques and methods. Then we give these new techniques and methods a try and find that not much happens. But prayer is not much different from human friendships. The expressions we receive from our friends are as valuable to us as the depth of the relationship which supports them."

“There are no tricks or short cuts, and we ought not to expect some particular method to compensate for an indifferent or lukewarm relationship (with God)."

“The biggest danger is impatience. We become uneasy with the quiet waiting in the presence of the Lord and decide to construct our own response to his word. … It is better to wait empty, open and desiring the Lord’s presence than to construct a superficial string of thoughts that are merely our own."

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third time I have read this book. I am not Catholic, but I believe this book to be the preeminent treatise on the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers. No one else explains the meaning and purpose of the Holy Spirit and the role of Prayer with more clarity and understanding than Hauser. To me, he is one of the best theologians of the age. He will be sorely missed...

[Pete Kieffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a thoughtful study of the Holy Spirit. It covers the Holy Spirit as it relates to prayer, service, guidance, and practical habits. I found it deepened my Spiritually. I recommend it.

[Eva Lynner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book changed the way I pray and helped me digest how exactly the Holy Spirit works in our lives.

I enjoyed the two models at the beginning, the Jesus prayer, and the mention of asceticism .

A bit dense, but deep and interesting.

[Trene1968 · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful book. it's a keeper.

[Teresa Daveline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely changed how I see the Holy Spirit in my life

[Tom Helmick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and worthwhile read - referenced by R Rohr

[Ang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit, I had to drag myself through the first half of the book, but a persistent nagging kept me reading and I'm glad I finished it. I did learn a few new things in the first half,(the concept that "Christ lives within us" (Eastern model) rather than "outside of us" (Western model)), and the second half offered a lot of practical advice on how to improve your prayer life and how to build rhythms into your daily life. Our church parish offered this book for Lenten Reading, glad I read it.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book first in 2013: An exceptional and cogent explanation of the working of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers.

Note: Just read this book once again. This is, by far, the most cogent and capable explanation of how the Holy Spirit works within us and empowers us. A must read for any person who seriously chooses the Christian path.

[Thadeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very useful and quite powerful read on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It was all very good, but I think I took the most practical insights away from chapter 6 - Guidelines for living in the Spirit - with examples of how to build rhythms into your daily life that foster living in tune with the Spirit.

Highly recommended to those looking to live a holy and prayerful life!

[Emily at Reaching While Rooted · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I wanted to read Thomas Merton, I would have selected one of his works. Hauser quotes the contemplative heavily, making this book feel more like an annotated copy of Merton's work than an original book. Additionally, what he does discuss in the way of spirituality is repetitive and his suggestions on how to pray not really applicable to a full time mother and student.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book written by someone who is clearly studied in theology an other areas and validly backs up his points. I enjoyed this higher level of writing, it was stimulating both spiritually and intellectually. A very good read.

[Hugh A. Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one I will reread. Hauser's two models of spirituality will lend themselves for some introspection that will affect one's personal prayer and the way we live out our understanding of what God is calling us to become.

[Kevin Estabrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this early in college career, good introduction to Christian Spirituality

[Patti Clement · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy read about our spiritual journeys. Nothing really powerful covered, but well written.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about prayer and how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. A lot of practical advice on how to improve your prayer life.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical guide to prayer and living a life that matters for you and others under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Very enjoyable, and thought provoking read. Now to put it into practice.

[Ted Leon]

Really interesting book focused on awareness of the Holy Spirit within us when we pray. Good reorientation of how we are to relate to a God in prayer. Worth the time!

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it, I will read this book over & over. Reading with my little spiritual book club. Beautifully written book on drawing closer and deepening your relationship with the Holy Spirit

[Katharina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book needs to be up there with all the classic spiritual books - Augustine, etc. amazing. Meant to be read in small chunks. Absolutely beautiful.

[Jean Wiseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A practical guide to Christian spirituality. An easy, yet thought-provoking read.