How To Surrender To God: A Step-By-Step Guide
The desire to surrender one’s life to God is a noble one. However, taking that first leap of faith can be daunting. If you feel drawn to submit to the divine fully but don’t know where to start, this comprehensive guide will illuminate the path.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Surrendering to God requires letting go of control, trusting in His plan for your life, and following His will through prayer, Scripture study, and acts of faith and service.
In this approximately article, we will explore what surrendering to God truly means, why it’s worthwhile, and how to take tangible steps to let go and let God take the lead in your spiritual journey.
Understanding What it Means to Surrender to God
Letting Go of Control and Trusting in God’s Plan
Surrendering to God requires letting go of the need to control every aspect of your life. Rather than relying solely on your limited human understanding, you must trust that God has a perfect plan for you.
This means welcoming unexpected changes in your life, even if they seem inconvenient or painful in the moment.
Remember that God uses all experiences, positive and negative, to transform you into the person He designed you to be according to His divine purpose.
Some helpful tips for letting go of control include spending time daily in prayer and meditation, studying scripture, and seeking godly counsel.
As you grow in intimacy with God, surrender becomes easier. Regularly declaring “not my will God, but Yours” also helps you adopt a more yielded mindset.
With consistent practice over time, you’ll find yourself more readily stepping back and allowing God to direct your thoughts and actions.
Following God’s Will instead of Your Own
The essence of surrender is laying down your own agenda in order to follow God’s will instead of your own. This requires humility and trust that God’s perfect plan for your life is better than anything you could strategize for yourself.
As you walk in close fellowship with God daily through prayer and studying the Bible, His unique calling on your life will unfold one step at a time.
Rather than worrying about the big picture, focus on faithfully carrying out the tasks God entrusts you with today. Let His affirming peace and supernatural joy – rather than external results or accomplishments – be your guide to ensure you’re aligned with His purpose.
Say “Yes” to God each new day while relying on His strength to accomplish what He asks of you. As you yield yourself fully to His will, you’ll experience the abundant life Jesus promised His followers (John 10:10).
Making God the Center of Your Life
Truly surrendering to God means enthroning Him in your heart and mind so that He becomes the focal point of your life. All other priorities and relationships take secondary position underneath your relationship with God.
Making time each morning to seek God through Bible reading and prayer is crucial to keeping your focus centered on Him amidst the busyness of daily responsibilities.
Evaluating how you spend your time, energy, and finances can reveal where your priorities actually lie. Eliminating distractions that keep you from wholehearted devotion to God may be necessary.
This might mean reducing social media use, turning off notifications, simplifying obligations, or even walking away from activities and relationships that hinder your spiritual growth.
As Charles Stanley puts it, “If Jesus isn’t Lord of all, He isn’t Lord at all.” Keep God first and experience His strength to joyfully fulfill His purposes.
The Benefits of Surrendering to God
Peace and Reduced Anxiety from Letting Go
Surrendering control to God can provide a profound sense of peace and calm. When we try to control every aspect of life, we tend to become overloaded, tense and anxious. However, letting go and allowing God to guide our paths helps relieve the burden of control.
This surrender process enables us to release stressful thoughts and find tranquility (2).
Guidance and Purpose for Your Life’s Path
Seeking and following God’s will for your life can reveal great purpose and meaning. God has intricate plans for each person that provide fulfillment beyond what we could orchestrate alone. As we surrender our choices to the Creator through prayer, study and worship, He guides us gently towards the unique life path He has planned.
Getting to this point occurs progressively. First we surrender our anxieties and control. Next, as we increasingly rely and call on God, the noise of the world fades.
Suddenly, His “still small voice” leads us step-by-step in the way He would have us walk – and it’s even better than what we could have imagined.
Practical Ways to Surrender to God
Pray Regularly and Open Yourself to God’s Voice
Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can surrender to God. Set aside time each day to bring your cares, concerns, and decisions before Him. As you pray, open your heart to hear His still, small voice guiding you (1 Kings 19:12).
Silence your own thoughts and agendas, listening for His wisdom and direction. This regular communication keeps you connected to God and surrendered to His purposes.
Study Scripture to Discern God’s Will
God reveals much of His will for our lives through the Bible. Make studying and meditating on Scripture a daily habit. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight verses and principles that apply to your circumstances.
Comparing your thoughts and desires against biblical truth helps align your heart with God’s heart. As you renew your mind with God’s Word, discerning His will becomes easier (Romans 12:2).
Serve Others with Love and Humility
Surrendering to God manifests itself in servanthood and sacrifice. As Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-27).
Look for ways to meet others’ needs with compassion, whether it’s visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, or simply listening to a hurting friend. Die to selfishness and pride as you live for God by serving those around you.
Let Go of Past Hurts and Future Fears
Finally, surrendering to God means releasing our hurts, regrets, anxieties and desires for control. Forgive those who’ve wronged you, trusting God to heal your wounds.
Hand your fears over to Him, knowing He holds your future and wants the best for you (Jeremiah 29:11).
Trying to manipulate circumstances only leads to more frustration. As you let go and live in the present moment with God, He will fill you with supernatural peace (Philippians 4:6-7).
Signs that You Are Surrendering to God
Growing Trust and Reliance on God
As you surrender more to God, you’ll likely find yourself relying on Him more throughout your daily life. Instead of trying to control everything yourself, you’ll pray about decisions and trust God to guide you. This requires faith that God knows what is best for you.
Increased Capacity to Forgive Others
Letting go of grudges and forgiving others is a sign of progress in surrendering to God. As we recognize our own flaws and God’s unlimited grace toward us, we become more willing to extend grace to others.
Potential Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them
Doubts and Fears About Letting Go
Letting go and surrendering to God can bring up many doubts and fears. We may worry that God will not provide for us or that bad things will happen if we let go of control.
However, we can look to Bible verses about faith and trust, such as Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We can also pray for God to increase our faith and overcome our doubts.
Old Habits and Behaviors
Surrendering to God requires us to let go of old habits and behaviors that keep us stuck. For example, we may cling to unhealthy relationships, addictions, or thought patterns like worry and perfectionism.
To overcome these, we can identify triggers and replace old habits with new godly ones.
We can also look at Jesus’ example of overcoming temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Accountability partners and Christian counseling can provide extra support.
Worldly Distractions and Temptations
The materialism and busyness of the world can distract us from a life surrendered to God. Setting aside regular quiet time for prayer and Bible reading helps keep our focus on Him.
We can also limit exposure to media and entertainment that draw our hearts away from God.
Staying involved in a community of believers gives us fellowship and support to stand against worldly temptations. As James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Impatience with the Process
Surrendering fully to God is an ongoing process that takes time. When we try to rush things, we may become disappointed or frustrated. However, God works patiently in each of our lives to bring us to deeper trust and reliance on Him.
As Lamentations 3:25 assures us, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.” Setting small, realistic goals and celebrating each step of progress keeps us moving forward. Most importantly, we can pray for God to develop patience and endurance in us.
Conclusion
Surrendering fully to God is a process – one of growing and deepening trust through constant reliance on Him. While the path may not always be easy, living a spirit-led life of purpose under God’s wisdom and grace makes the journey worthwhile.
If you feel called to hand over control and follow His plan for you, have faith that God will illuminate the way forward one step at a time. Stay focused on getting to know Him better through prayer, study, and service.
And trust that the more you surrender, the more incredible joy, power and love you’ll find on this sacred path.
