Before we answer your specific question, the only Scripture that comes to mind which the writer of those lyrics may have had in mind is John 20:21. It reads, “And when He (Jesus) had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (NKJV). The problem with connecting that verse with those lyrics is that it is Jesus, and not the Holy Spirit, who “breathed on the disciples.” Also, the disciples were NOT COMMANDING the Holy Spirit to come; Jesus was simply, in some sense, GIVING the Holy Spirit to His disciples.

In order to gain an understanding of that verse, let’s read verse 20, “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’” Jesus had already died and rose again when he said these words. He was soon to return to His Father in heaven and in view of His ascension He gives them the same commission that the Father had given Him. The Father had sent Him into the world not only to be the Savior of the world (see 1st John 4:9-10), but also to bear witness to the world of the Father. In other words, He was sent to reveal the Father. John 1:18 speaks to this, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” This is why Jesus could say, “He who has seen Me, has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Now the Lord Jesus is going to send His disciples into the world to BEAR WITNESS OF HIM. In order to do this, they would need the power of the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ to the world. In John 20:23 Jesus is preparing them for the coming of the Holy Spirit who would indeed empower them as witnesses of Christ. On the day of Jesus’ ascension He told His disciples, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The truth is Jesus had to be glorified before He could send the Holy Spirit to them, as we see in John 7:38-39, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN, BECAUSE JESUS WAS NOT YET GLORIFIED.” This proves that Jesus’ words in John 20:22 were in anticipation of Him sending the Holy Spirit and thus they never actually received the Holy Spirit at that time. If you read Acts 2:1-4 you will see that it was on the Day of Pentecost, AFTER Jesus had been glorified, that the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers and to form the church (see Acts 2:47 along with 1st Corinthians 12:13).

Now we are prepared to answer your question, “Can we command the Holy Spirit to come to us?” We have just seen from various scriptures that “we do not command the Holy Spirit to come to us”; rather, “the Lord Jesus sent Him to indwell believers so they would be empowered to witness for Him and to form the body of Christ. Once the Holy Spirit comes to indwell a believer, He never leaves them so there would be no reason to “command Him to come to us.” Jesus made this clear in John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him/ but you know Him, for He dwells with you and WILL BE IN YOU.” We may, at times, grieve the Holy Spirit, but He remains in us, as we see in Ephesian 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” In light of this truth it is wrong to ask or command the Holy Spirit to come to us, though it is quite proper to ask the Lord to FILL US WITH THE SPIRIT. In Ephesians 5:18 we read, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.” Though the Spirit IS IN US, we need to yield our lives to Him so He CAN CONTROL US and thus we can surely pray for the Lord’s grace to compel us to allow the Spirit to control every area of our life.  (394.3)  (DO)