A Surrendered Life
Can you take a morning with the Lord and think about surrender? What a great way to begin a ministry year—surrendered. A few synonyms to “surrender” are: give in, give up, lay down your arms, submit, yield, and capitulate. The antonym? To hold out. The men and women in the Word of God did not hold out, didn’t hold back, and did not seek to control their lives. Nope. They were the people of surrender. They stopped fighting God’s will and ways and chose to yield, lay down their fleshly arms, and gladly surrender. The following is a suggested way to spend a morning with the Lord walking around the topic of surrender.
The Beginning
- Reconsider the 2 Corinthians passage quoted in Devoted to Prayer, personalizing as you read. Journal your thoughts. Ask the Lord to set your heart to surrender as you focus on his call in your life.
- Read Psalms 23 and 100. Shepherd Psalms always carry with them the flavor of surrender. Is there a phrase or a verse that speaks to you about areas you need to surrender?
- 2 Timothy 4:4-18 are some of Paul’s final words. How is surrender a vital part of his life, even as he faced death.
The Middle
- Committing to be honest: where has it been hard for you to surrender to the Lord? Write them in your journal in an unvarnished way. Are there places you don’t even want to surrender?
- Read Psalms 17 and 77. Do you find any of the psalmist’s questions mirroring your own? Which ones? Journal about your discoveries.
- Read Romans 12:1-2 from a few fresh versions. Any new insights? Would you consider being a living sacrifice in those areas this morning?
The End:
- Read Matthew 10:32-39 and Luke 14:25-35. What do you learn about surrender as it relates to being a follower of Christ?
- Read Psalm 131 written by King David late in his life. Rewrite this psalm for yourself.
- End in a time of praise and thanksgiving for the way God spoke to you from his word.
- Tell one other person what you learned about this exercise in surrender.
