I’m currently taking two challenges:
1. Saddleback Church: Reading the New Testament in 8 weeks.
2. Hallow: Pray 40 for Lent – Surrender is the common theme.
The theme is “surrender to Jesus”. To me this means giving my issues, needs, concerns, challenges, and all of my life to Jesus.
A prayer from Hollow’s Pray 40 is “Oh Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.” Even more importantly, the New Testament clearly supports this choice, this action of faith – surrender.
Almost every day I pray:
“I believe in You, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and willingly died on the cross for the redemption of humanity. I trust in Your resurrection and Your promise of eternal life. I accept You as my Lord and Savior, and I surrender my life into Your loving care.”
So what does this Surrender really look like, what does it entail? What am I surrendering in my daily prayer?
In the heart of every devout Christian, the theme of surrender is not just a concept, but a way of life. This is the journey I find myself contemplating deeply as I engage in two spiritually enriching challenges: reading the New Testament in 8 weeks with Saddleback Church and participating in Hollow’s Pray 40 for Lent. The resonating message through both of these endeavors is a call to "surrender to Jesus."
To surrender to Jesus means to offer up every part of our lives—our worries, needs, challenges, and the entirety of our beings. It is to echo the prayer from Hollow’s Pray 40 that says, "O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything." This sentiment is not just a fleeting emotion but is deeply rooted in the New Testament's teachings, which endorse this act of faith.
Daily, countless believers find themselves in prayer, professing faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, who led a sinless life and willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross for the redemption of humankind. In this prayer, there is a declaration of trust in His resurrection and the promise of eternal life. Accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior comes with the profound act of surrendering one's life to His providential care.
But what does such surrender entail in practice? What is the nature of what we are surrendering in our daily supplications?
True surrender is not about loss; it's about gaining freedom in Jesus. It's releasing the tight grip we have on our lives and allowing Jesus to lead. It's the acknowledgment that we are not in control and that there is greater peace in submitting to His will. When we surrender, we are giving God the space to work within us and through us. It's an admission that we need Jesus in every aspect of our lives, not just during times of distress but as the constant guide of our existence.
In essence, to surrender is to live out the words of Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." It is to accept that our vision is limited, but His is infinite.
Surrendering daily means waking up each morning and acknowledging that this day belongs to Jesus, and so does everything we do in it.
As we explore the New Testament, we encounter numerous instances where Jesus calls His disciples to surrender their ways and follow Him. The act of surrendering is thus not merely theoretical; it was exemplified in the lives of the apostles and is demanded of all who call themselves followers of Christ.
Therefore, surrender is a multifaceted commitment. It is a vow to trust in Jesus' plan for our lives, to seek His wisdom in our decisions, to embody His teachings in our actions, and to offer every moment of our existence to His glory. In the face of life's vicissitudes, surrender is the steadfast decision to say, "Not my will, but Yours be done."
And so, as I journey through the scriptures and dedicate time to prayer, I am learning that to surrender is not to abandon oneself to fate, but to trust in the One who is faithful. It is to live with the assurance that when we let go, we are not forsaken; we are held and guided by the loving hands of Jesus.