5 Things You Can Do that will Help You Surrender to God’s Will
It’s hard to surrender!
One of the hardest things to do in life is to be able to say…
“Lord, not my will but Yours be done.”
In fact, I’ve had more than a few times when I’ve gone into and through circumstances both kicking and screaming!
Surrender is a word that used to terrify me.
I’m guessing I’m not alone.
It’s not easy to give up and give in to the Sovereign God of the Universe because doing so requires…
Trusting that God is who He says He is.
Believing He is able to do what He says He will do.
Living in peace knowing His love is greater than any circumstances.
I’ll admit it’s easier to surrender to God’s will when life is easy and He’s working in ways that please me. It’s harder when I can’t understand my current situation and the road ahead looks hard.
Maybe like me, you want to do better and face each day in obedience without fighting to get your own way.
If so, I believe this will help you like it’s helping me.
5 Things You Can Do that will Help You Surrender to God’s Will
1. Trust God’s Love
It’s hard for me to follow someone who doesn’t want what’s best for me and since the Garden of Eden, Satan has used whatever he can to get people to doubt God’s love.
Have you ever heard a child say “you don’t love me” to a parent’s “no?” Yet the job of a loving parent isn’t to make their children happy, it’s to do what is best to help them grow and mature.
I’m learning that as my loving Heavenly Father, God is at work in my life helping me grow and mature in faith and love.
And…
God showed how much He loved us by sending His one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through Him.This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:9–10
That is HUGE love!
2. Let Go of Worry and Surrender in Faith
If worry was an Olympic sport, I’d have a trophy case of medals. The list of things I’ve worried about is too long for this space. I’d memorized the verse “don’t worry about tomorrow” as a child — but applying it seemed beyond my anxiety overwhelm.
But I’m not doing tomorrow right now. I living today! It took several major crises before I finally learned that I just needed God to help me through this moment and trust Him to give me what I need in the next. That’s living through faith…
Believing God will meet each need one moment at a time!
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things? Luke 12:25–26
3. Let Go of the Past and Surrender to God’s Healing Grace
Dwelling on the past is as much of a problem as worrying about the future.
In Christ Jesus, God has completely forgiven the past. I’m learning to trust Him and lean into His gracea and mercy.
Part of my surrendering means going to God in prayer asking Him to forgive my past and give me all I need to forgive those who hurt me. When you and I focus on regret and revenge we cannot surrender. Those two things will always rob us of God’s peace and joy.
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18–19
4. Let Go of Impatience and Surrender to God’s Timing
I’m not good at waiting … lines, doctors offices, etc. I have a schedule to follow. You too?!
But the truth is, there is no peace when I’m tapping my foot and staring at my watch.
So, I’m giving my impatience to God, asking Him to help me trust His timing and while I wait, I’m also asking Him to give me His peace and strength.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
5. Let Go of Disobedience and Surrender to God’s Commands
I’m too often a creature of habits and not all of them are good. It’s easy to make light of my sins, after all they’re not THAT bad. But sins are a big deal. They rob me of peace, cause me unpleasant consequences, and fail to glorify God.
I’m asking God to help me believe His ways are best and.give me a heart for obedience … not to earn His favor but to glorify Him and testify to His love.
Lord, we show our trust in You by obeying Your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify Your name. Isaiah 26:8
I still have so much to learn to completely surrender to God’s will.
I like to have control over what happens in my life. I want what I want and I want it now. But experience has taught me that fighting God’s plans will never offer me lasting happiness or peace. It has never happened in the past and I doubt it will in the future.
I believe God wants to help us trust His perfect love and surrender to His will.
Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me. Isaiah 46:9
So… I will surrender my will to God today.
Not on my own.
But with His help.
I can do all things through Christ because He gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
I’m thankful for these quotes to inspire me.
♥ “If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!”~Elisabeth Elliot
♥ “It is wonderful what miracles God works in wills that are utterly surrendered to Him” ~Hannah Whitall Smith
♥ “Real contentment must come from within. You and I cannot change or control the world around us, but we can change and control the world within us.” ~Warren Wiersbe
♥ “Peace is the deliberate adjustment of my life to the will of God.” ~Author Unknown
A Daily Prayer of Surrender to God’s Will
Years ago, a dear friend shared this morning prayer with me.
Father God, I surrender this day to You. I will follow where You lead and do Your will as You reveal it to me. Help me live this promise – that I may live today for Your glory. In the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May this be the way I begin each day, and with God’s help may I live it out one moment at a time.
Leave your prayer requests…
and pray for others who have left requests.
I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.
And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…
I loved the prayer your friend shared with you, Deb, and prayed it with you today. Blessings, my friend!
Hi.I need to definitely take your advice.
I’m glad it blessed and encouraged you, Evadne. God bless you!
I trust I think I doing the will of God. I thought I heard him. But everything is going down hill nothing going right it so hard and why, I just can’t fell Gods present here . My husband lost kidneys, had to working, house falling apart. I haven’t work out of the house in 20 years. Now 60 and no one wants me. One kid left at home out of 8 and only 3 are walking with God the 7 that are out of the house. Right now I hate myself. I fill like where did I go wrong.
I’m so sorry, Julie. It sounds like you are walking a very difficult path. I’m praying for you and asking the Lord to hold you close . . . that He might allow you to feel His loving presence in your life. I’m asking Him to work in your children’s lives so that they might have a longing to walk with Him, and that He might give you all everything you need each day.
Thank you for this article. I am recently divorced and trying to heal from betrayal and forgive my ex. I have faith in God’s presence, love, and mercy as I move on with my life. I like your comments on God’s presence and love. Thank you
Very informative love all the info
Hi ,I love the prayer your friend Deb said to you.And I will memorize it and pray it every time.
Thank you, Theresa! He was a wonderful encourager and man of God. I’m so glad his prayer blessed you!
You and I both could win a trophy for worrying about all the details that are falling through my fingertips at all times. But you are right. I have got to trust God and His plan and surrender to all that He asks of me.
I need 5 more steps on how to surrender to God’s timing! I struggle with this so much. It is like the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! I do love Isaiah 40:31 and several great waiting verses in the Psalms.
Great post, Deb. I read it earlier today and retweeted when Sarah G. shared it. But wanted to look through it again and leave you a comment from “By His Grace Bloggers” blog share. I love the surrender prayer. And the hardest for me is, “Let Go of Impatience and Surrender to God’s Timing.” Thanks!
Hi Deb, Such a timely post as it seems I’m not alone in surrendering to HIs will. Somedays are harder than others it seems.
Stopped by from Blessing Bloggers. Pinned both your lovely images too.
It’s so hard to trust that we can trust God to be God. He has such perfect plans for all of us, even if it’s hard to see right now.
This blessed me tonight. This is something I always have to re-visit. God continues to teach- even the poorest students. I like the image of the quote above, and it seems very much like me: like that of a child, grabbing back what he’s given his Father!
Good words Deb!
I have not surrendered my life to god and jesus l have regrets bad habits l was reading about trusting
God and jesus l have been trough a lot of pain in my life and giving in to the flesh l think l went through
The pain to break my stubborn prideful spirit rebelleous
I also have to take accountabilty for my actions lt is
Going to happen l would appreciate your prayers god
Bless john
John, thank you so much for visiting and for taking the time to stop and share your story. I am stopping to pray for you now! God loves you and through Jesus will heal your past and give you all you need to walk with Him going forward. We are all works in progress. I won’t tell you that you’ll do a 180-degree change overnight but He will help you day by day. And He will give you the strength and courage to face whatever lies ahead. You’re right! It is going to happen. God bless you!
As I search the net for articles about surrender to God I did glean some new thoughts from this. I thank you for that. I’m kinda new at this I just received the Holy Spirit in Nov. And I have a long way to go. I am also fighting a list addiction which at the moment is doing okay. anyways thank you again
Chuck, thank you for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m praying for you and asking God to continue to give you His strength as you surrender to Him through Jesus. God bless you!
Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it robs today of its strength. Corrie Ten Boom
Great quote, JoyAnne! And when you think of all that Corrie went through in her life it is even more powerful! Blessings!
Hi Deb.
What an inspirational article. I was really blessed by this truth. May God continue to keep bless you as you bless others.
*I believe you meant to type Isaiah 46:9 not 64:9 ????.
Thanks, Ruth, for your kind encouragement and for catching my typo! I’ve corrected it already! Thanks again and God bless!
I really appreciate what you are doing… Thank you
I have an overwhelming need to be in full surrender and obedience to Jesus. Each day it grows more and more in my heart and is so disappointing when my human self makes errors. My thoughts of scripture and his word occupy me nearly awake to sleep. I so much want his will to be done and Im confident I would die for him or his will now.
Kelley, What a wonderful prayer and desire! That is exactly what God wants for each of us. Thanks so much for visiting and for joining the conversation! God bless you!
The word of God is very good it has made me feel l am with
My father God who made me thanks and pls l need prayers for my family and me and my husband pls and financial .money pls
Thank you, Lydia. We are praying for you! God bless you!
My wonderful husband passed away of Covid 7/11/23 I miss him So much. 😢 Im just lost, sad, angry, depressed so so frustrated.
I pray for healing in my soul, heart, mind,body, in everything. Esmer
I am so very sorry, Esmer. Grief overwhelms with so many emotions. We are lifting you up in prayer and asking the Lord to hold you close as you walk through this painful time. God be with you and bless you!
God showed himself to me today
Praising Him with you. May you be blessed with His peace and joy in abundance.
Thank you for this truth! It really helped me today. I appreciate all of it! I want to Trust in God more and Surrender to Him in everything!
Thank you, Karin! I’m so glad it encouraged you. God bless you!
I would like to learn ,more of Lord .
Hi, Martha. Thanks for visiting. I pray that you will visit Counting My Blessings often and that you will grow to know and love the Lord more and more along with all of us. God bless you!
I learned today that my car will cost $2700 to repair. I also learned Princess Kate revealed she has cancer. I thank my Lord and Savior for blessing me with $2700 in my savings account and not her diagnosis. Get what I’m saying?? Fervent prayers for her situation. 🙏🙏🙏
You’re right, Mary-Jo. That’s a wonderful way to look at life. We all have hard days and difficult struggles but we have a great God who walks with us through it all. God be with you and bless you!
I completely surrendered to GOD two years ago. My marriage was on the verge of divorce, my husband had another woman living in his home, I prayed for restoration and GOD miraculously restored my marriage in January 2024. My husband is still an alcoholic and drinks almost daily, his children do not want me around, and the counterfeit woman still has contact. I trust GOD to take care of it all. Total surrender means the battle is HIS. Before I surrendered, I had a temper, pride and bitterness. Menopause hit me very hard and satan had taken a hold of my health. My health is restored, I work in a wonderful job and our marriage will all be Glory to GOD. I will ask for prayer for husband’s alcoholism.
I love your heart, Yolie! What a journey you have been on. I’m praying for you, your husband, and your family. May the Lord continue to give you His peace and strength and bless your family with faith and love. God bless you and watch over you each day.
Many thanks for this article on surrendering to God.l am constantly on the lookout for easy to read articles, with Biblical principles that l can share with my staff.With the current economic challenges that we face in South Africa in what is known as the Cinderella Province(the EASTERN CAPE) ,we need to be aware of where our help comes from.We certainly need to soar like eagles with Our Mighty God’s Strength.
Kind regards,Adele Dewing
Thank you so much for visiting and for your kind encouragement. I’m glad you were encouraged by your visit. May the Lord be with you and bless you as you minister to those around you with His amazing grace and merciful love.
I’ve indeed liked the message about 5 things you can do that will help you surrender to God’s will. Thank you very much.
I’m so glad it blessed you! Thank you for visiting and for takiong the time to let me know.
Taking it back like I know better is a folly. There is nothing I have control over….not even my next breath! To God be all the glory now and for ever more!!!
Amen, Jayne. Leaving everything in God’s hands is the best way to live each day. God bless you!
Thank you.
You’re most welcome, Danni. God bless you!
Amen I have been struggling with my life regarding Generational curses and bad dreams and family strife. But thanks for your word that says surrender to God. God bless you.
God bless you, Krish! I’m glad you visited and praying that the Lord fills your life with peace and joy.
This was such a nice surprise. I enjoy reading the Bible. However, I get almost as much benefit reading what others say about how they feel, think and respond to what the Bible teaches.
Also, learning how many people have the same problems.
I had lots of resources for Bible studies where I moved from a couple of years ago. And, I really need to find a church and a Bible study. I’m sure there are plenty here in Dripping Springs, Texas.
Hi, Annabel! Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to say, “hello.” I agree! I have been blessed by my time in the Word and blessed by people who have encouraged in the ways the Lord has helped them through life’s challenges. I’m lifting you up in prayer and asking the Lord to guide you to a faith family that will bless and encourage you! God be with you!