Why It’s Important for You to Pray and Surrender

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How willing are you to wave the white flag of surrender and give yourself completely to God?

We typically think of surrendering as admitting defeat and giving up the fight but let’s see what some dictionaries say…

• To yield to the power and control of another.
• To give up possession upon demand or under duress.
• To yield, abandon, or relinquish.

Proverbs 3:5–6 perfectly explains what it means to surrender our lives to God…

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do,
    and He will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5–6

I think it’s the words, “in all you do,” that most of us find so difficult. We all have things we want to do whether it’s God’s will or not.

But trusting God with all our hearts means surrendering ourselves completely to God following His will because we love Him and believe His path is the best path for life.

The thing is … even when we know God’s will, it’s not easy to give in and give up control. We live in a microwave world of instant gratification, we’re prone to wanting what we want immediately!

It’s called … our sinful nature.

I don’t like to admit how often I’ve let my inner two-year-old whine in prayer asking the Lord to give me what I’ve convinced myself I “need.” The number of times I’ve rushed to do things myself and ended up in a frustrating mess. Or the times I’ve listened to people who told me what I wanted to hear even when I knew it wasn’t God’s will.

Then I followed up with prayers that often went … You want my happiness, don’t You? You’ll rescue me, won’t You? You understand, don’t You?

That’s not Surrender! Surrender is giving our all—heart, soul, mind, and strength—to God because we love Him and trust that His path is the path of hope, love, and victory in Christ Jesus.

So, let’s pray and center our hearts on God’s truth asking for His help to surrender our lives to His will trusting His love.

Let’s pray…

5 Verses and Prayers to Help Us Surrender

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Father God, Your Son, Jesus, took my sins to the cross suffering my punishment. He is the sinless Word made Flesh, present at creation and forever the holy Savior who makes it possible for me to live in Your presence eternally.

Through faith and baptism, I am dead to my old self and alive to my new life of victory and freedom. I give myself to You in faith. I am overwhelmed by Your grace, mercy, and love and I come to You with a humble heart grateful to You for making it possible for me to KNOW, TRUST, and LOVE You. Amen.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Heavenly Father, as I turn to You in faith and open my heart, You fill me with Your Holy Spirit. My heart aches when I think of the high price Jesus paid for me. He gave His body to pain and suffering and released His soul to death … so that I might be claimed as Your child.

He saw my sin and suffered my punishment to make me part of the family. Oh, how I want to glorify You in everything I say and do. I want to surrender completely to the One who gave Himself to be with me and within me forever. I want to trust Your plans and purposes and obey Your will in response to Your love. I want to love like Jesus. Amen.

“I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”

Mark 9:24

Father, I can fully relate to the man who spoke these words. I believe Jesus is my Lord and Savior. I believe I can have a full life now and eternally through Him. I believe Your commands are for my good. I believe You are good and gracious, loving and caring. I believe…

But when burdens overwhelm and the enemy taunts and tempts me with questions and doubts … I need Your help to overcome. You help those who come to You in childlike humility trusting and surrendering Your loving care and guidance. Please fill me with Your Spirit, increase my faith, and give me all I need to give myself completely to You. Amen.

For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so my ways are higher than your ways
    and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9

Father God, everything You do is perfect and good. You know the end from the beginning. You are Lord of All. Yet, we foolishly think we know the answers for life apart from Your perfect will. We listen to the world’s foolishness and follow without thinking. We try to define You based on our foolish ideas rather than Your Holy Word.

Please forgive us. Please forgive me and help me KNOW, TRUST, and OBEY Your will and Your ways. Amen.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10

Heavenly Father, Your Word says that I am fearfully and wonderfully made … that I am Your masterpiece. Yet, I live in a fallen world and I, too, am broken by sin. But Your Word tells me that You have “created me anew in Christ Jesus.”

How can I begin to thank You for all You have done for me? The answer Your Word gives me is that Your will for me is to do what is just and fair, to love mercy, and to walk in humility with You. (Micah 6:8) It says that You want me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength and love the people You bring into my life. (Luke 10:27)

I do ove You, Lord. And I surrender my life to You trusting that You are who You say You are and that You keep Your promises. I give You my todays and my tomorrows forever and always with Your help for Your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

There is freedom, comfort, contentment, joy, peace, and understanding in trusting the Lord completely.

When we surrender to Him we don’t need to manipulate people, things, circumstances, or truth. Under His care, we have everything we need and by the power of the Spirit, it will become what we want most of all.

So let’s begin each day surrendered completely to the Lord God with the following prayer:

I have surrendered this day to You, Lord. I will follow where You guide and do Your will as You reveal it to me. Father, help me to fulfill this vow and glorify You alone … in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

May the Lord bless you abundantly as you surrender to Him.

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