How to get slain in the Spirit

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melvfe

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Hi!

I would like to get slain in the Spirit but I face two difficulties
  1. My mind simply cannot let go.
  2. My physical condition makes it very hard for me to be relaxed. Even when I try to keep still in silent prayer, I cannot stop getting spasms and becoming restless and fidgety…
I want to have the experience of getting slain in the Spirit this Easter/Pentecost. Please advise!
 
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Seconded this would be an incredible experience but I don’t even know where to start!
 
Do not force on it. You will receive the Holy Spirit regardless whether you are slain or not. If your heart desires the Holy Spirit, which is what it takes, you will receive, one way or the other. Yes, it is important to empty oneself as distraction can be caused by obstacles within you that have not been sufficiently repented of. So that can be the key of receiving the Holy Spirit tangibly. Make your vessel empty so that there will be a place for the fountain of the Holy Spirit. Surrendering can be an important factor to be relaxed. Tell God that no matter what, you will allow Him to do to you according to His will.

God bless.
 
Is it actually possible to get slain by the Spirit while praying alone at home? @reuben_j
Because I want to practice relaxing myself
 
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Hi. Of course. Yes, it can happen though it is easier in a more conducive atmosphere where people are ministering to you. The principle is still the same - repenting, desiring and surrendering yourself. We take confidence in this for the fact that the Holy Spirit is promised in the Gospel that He is the one that the Father in heaven will give if we ask (Lk 11:13).

The experience would be something like you are rubberry on the feet and just want to relax or fall down. Do not struggle against it but rather bask in it allowing yourself to completely feel the Holy Spirit ministering to you.

Now, that is not the only sign of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Like you said, you can be distracted or you may not be slained at all but no worries, all the same God still give you what you ask for. More importantly, it is our faith in the promises of God and expecting something we cannot see to happen to us.

God bless you.
 
There was once when I almost was slain but I was standing on the steps and so I was scared of injuring myself when I fall…
Sigh… I was so close…
 
melvfe said:
I want to have the experience of getting slain in the Spirit this Easter/Pentecost.
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It sounds like you really want to experience what it is like to be totally relaxed in the presence of God - being able to let go cognitively and physically.
 
Thanks! But I am concerned with my physical condition which makes me tense up automatically in new or uncommon experiences… 😦
 
melvfe said:
Is it actually possible to get slain by the Spirit while praying alone at home?
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Yes, but this is not something that should be sought. We must seek the Giver, and not the Gift.
melvfe said:
Because I want to practice relaxing myself
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This is a noble goal, and one which can be achieved by ongoing prayerful disciplines and contemplation. It is a much more appropriate pursuit than “getting slain”.
 
guanophore said:
This is a noble goal, and one which can be achieved by ongoing prayerful disciplines and contemplation. It is a much more appropriate pursuit than “getting slain”.
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I am wondering if this can be done alone, or should be done with the help of a spiritual director?

@guanophore
 
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melvfe said:
But I am concerned with my physical condition which makes me tense up automatically in new or uncommon experiences
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In such cases it is much more prudent to sit. Plenty of people experience this while sitting.
 
But I tense up even when I am seated! Would you prefer if I pm you about this?
 
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melvfe said:
I am wondering if this can be done alone, or should be done with the help of a spiritual director?
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Developing contemplative prayer disciplines, unlike “getting slain”, is a long and arduous process. One must be able to practice daily on their own. The process can be supported and facilitated with spiritual direction.
 
If I can develop such prayer discipline, would it make it easier for me to get slain?
 
melvfe said:
If I can develop such prayer discipline, would it make it easier for me to get slain?
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I think you would not find such a desire for it, as you would be able to enter a state of relaxation and intimacy with God without the need for it.
 
Um, someone please explain how seeking to be “slain in the Spirit” is a Catholic practice? In all my extensive spiritual reading in Catholicism, I never saw the saints seek this state. What is the origin, who practices it, and why is it desired?
 
There isn’t anything particularly Catholic or particularly un-Catholic about it. The way the OP talks about it is unusual. I should have probably replied to the OP first, asking, “why?” Just because I find it concerning to want an experience which one might not be granted or one that he has to try so hard to yield to. It’s not essential.

To your questions, these Q&As, one from Women of Grace and the other from EWTN may answer them.


http://www.ewtn.com/v/experts/showmessage.asp?number=414419
 
It’s not that I try so hard. It’s just that I can do it (I almost got it once) but my physical condition and mental state are getting in the way.
 
I don’t know how much time you spend in prayer trying to get there but I guess it sounds like you are putting more effort into it than anyone I’ve heard of. Are you doing any of this within a prayer group? Being prayed over made this easier and more effective. I’ve had mystical experiences in prayer solo and with a group they were very different. Then again a couple of the latter occasions the context was part of a healing Mass. In nearly all were in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. I guess I understand your desire for it more than I thought; I find myself longing for the experience again. There is wisdom in doing this with the help if a prayer group or healing ministry, though.
 
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In authentic prayer there are some things that you cannot generate for yourself. The mystical action of the Holy Spirit comes from God Himself it is not something that you can provoke for yourself.
Rather than having experiences I think we should focus on being faithful to the gospel and if the Spirit moves you then you should be very grateful.
 
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