Surrender Part 2

SURRENDER Part 2
Vineyard Church NW - Jody Burgin


SURRENDER vs. Self-reliance
Yielding to the authority, direction, and gracious care of God

"I will…"
daily acknowledge to God that I need his power and direction.
consult God and his Word before making important decisions.
recognize and confess my stubborn self-will.
offer my life as a living sacrifice to God in attitude and actions.
This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name Matthew 6:9

A great Christian woman was asked how she prayed to God. She said:
“I pray as if I were to offer a petition to a monarch of whose kindness and wisdom I have the highest opinion. In such a case my language would be: ‘I wish you to bestow on me such a favor; but your majesty knows better than if it would be agreeable to you or right to grant my desire. I therefore content myself with humbly presenting my petition, and leave the results of it entirely to you!’”

The spirit of this prayer is the essence of the habit of surrender – yielding to the authority, direction, and gracious care of God. One prays expecting kindness and wisdom from the King, yet the prayer is already answered in the privilege of praying. Contentment comes from the asking itself.

Aren’t we all like little children who have a million requests to make to our heavenly Parent? As we clamor for this or that, we have no real idea of what is best for us. We know, however, that we can always ask. That freedom to request, that easy access to petition, is our greatest favor and honor. We are never turned away in our questioning, pleading – even crying – to God. If we trust him, we will also say that we “leave the results of it entirely to you.” God’s results are always good, always best, always right.

O Christ, you know what is best for me. Thank you for always hearing my request and giving me what I need.