Let me start by saying I'm not perfect. I fail daily. But as I've failed, faced painful trials, and literally reached the end of myself, I've also "learned" and "grown" with the Lord. It was in those desperate places that the Lord lovingly pried my tight fists of control open and guided me into the sweet place of finally releasing my cares to Him. And, after impatiently taking matters into my own hands and subsequently failing, I've learned the importance of actively practicing surrender. Daily.
There is no perfect way to do this. It doesn't have to be beautiful. But it has to be real. It doesn't have to feel good. But you have to be willing to be vulnerable. To be honest, it may even hurt a little ... and some days it may hurt a lot. What matters, though, is that you're doing it. You are in a place of active surrender. The Lord desires nothing more than your desired heart. He LOVES to know that you have made yourself available to Him.
This is the way I do it. Feel free to borrow this prayer or tweak it to meet your needs.
Lord, thank You for today. Thank You that Your mercies are new each day and that I have another chance to get it right and to walk with You today. I come before You today to once again surrender my plans: the pressure to perform, the pressure to be successful, to be respected, to achieve, to be desired, to be the object of someone's praise or affection, and even how I think things should look.
Father, I repent of the idols that I've made out of worldly success: having/making money, a picture-perfect marriage, an HGTV-worthy home, an instagram-worthy lifestyle. You are not the author of these things nor have You asked me to “be something” or "prove something" to anyone else to earn their respect. You have merely asked me to take up my cross and follow You.
This is my heart's desire. To follow you, to walk in obedience, and to trust that Yours is the best plan for my life. You have created me with and for a purpose, and I fit perfectly into Your blueprints for today. You have uniquely designed me for such a time as this and You have already prepared me for anything I may face today. I place my heart in Your hands and trust that You are more than equipped to hold it. Teach me a new definition of success and show me how to live even closer to You.
Father, hear my heart. While my heart’s desire is to point back to You and make an impact for Your kingdom, sometimes my plans get in the way and my focus wavers. So, once again, I surrender them to You. Help me to discern Your voice, the voice of my Shepherd, and to drown out anything may try to block or hinder it. I crave Your voice.
I ask You again, God, to be my focus. I ask You, God, to give me sufficient strength for today. I ask You, God, for Your strategy and Your definition of success in my life, however that may look. I pray that You will become enough for me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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