I surrender

How do I surrender to God?

When we hear the phrase "surrender to God" we might think that we are going to stop living. The truth is: we will start living! Surrendering to God doesn't mean living without a purpose. Instead, it means to start living with a purpose - the purpose that God has planned for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

God is saying that He has a plan for our lives! We can give up our selfish desires, put our futures in the hands of God, and He will take us far beyond our dreams!

The book of James suggests that we "submit" or surrender to God. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Once again, we see that God desires that we give our lives and plans to Him 100 percent.

James not only touches the point of surrendering to God, but he links it with the second idea: resisting the devil. These two ideas go hand-in-hand. Surrendering to God is not easy and there will always be the temptation of returning to our own self. Even Jesus was tempted to not surrender His life to God's plan! But what happened? He resisted and the devil fled from Him.

Surrendering to God gives us a weapon to use against our enemy, the devil. Even when we are tempted to do our own will and live our lives in our own way, once we surrender to God, He will empower us to resist the devil.
Surrender to God - What's the Phrase Really Mean?
Surrender to God - it's a term you may have heard, but what does it mean, exactly? Surrender is not a word often associated with positive actions. After all, "surrender in the name of the law" usually means trouble for someone. And we know that when one side surrenders to another in battle, it's a sign they've given up any hope for victory.
Surrender means to yield ownership, to relinquish control over what we consider ours: our property, our time, and our "rights."
When we surrender to God, we are simply acknowledging that what we "own" actually belongs to Him.


He is the giver of all good things. We are responsible to care for what God has given us, as stewards of His property, but by surrendering to God, we admit that He is ultimately in control of everything, including our present circumstances.
Surrendering to God helps us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God's best for our lives. By surrendering to God, we let go of whatever has kept us from wanting God's ways first.
Living Sacrifice - A Biblical Truth
As Christians, we're called to give ourselves to God as a "living sacrifice." The Apostle Paul helps us understand this truth in his letter to the believers in Rome:

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
If you are struggling with total surrender to God, talk to God about your thoughts, feelings, and resistance. Surrendering to God means that we yield our ownership . . .we relinquish control of our time, our property, our career. Anything that we consider as “rights.” We acknowledge what we thought was ours, is actually Gods. We are simply caretakers. We acknowledge that He knows best. We want His perfect plan!
Mark 14:35-36 Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.