The Prayer of Surrender

Daily Light

There are prayers of praise. Prayers of thanksgiving. Prayers of confession. And then there are prayers of surrender. These are often the hardest prayers to pray. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus revealed the deepest heart of worship. Facing the cross, He did not pretend the suffering would be easy. He did not deny the weight of what lay before Him. He simply placed His desires before the Father and then surrendered Himself completely to the Father's will. "Nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." This is not resignation. It is trust. The highest act of worship is not merely asking God to bless our plans. It is offering Him our plans and trusting His wisdom above our own. Proverbs reminds us that while people make plans in their hearts, it is the Lord who directs their steps. The Way of Quiet Light teaches that surrender is not losing control. It is placing ourselves into hands far more trustworthy than our own. Sometimes surrender means accepting a closed door. Sometimes it means walking through an unexpected one. Sometimes it means waiting longer than we hoped. Always it means trusting the character of God. The Lord's will is never separated from His goodness. His wisdom is never separated from His love. Today, bring your plans before Him. Offer your hopes. Offer your fears. Offer your future. And then pray the prayer that has shaped the lives of saints throughout history: "Not my will, but Yours be done."