One morning a few weeks ago in the midst of immense personal struggle, God used a song in my life. The reason this song has so resonated with me again and again is because its words represent what God has already done in my heart in calling me. There was no plan to hear it, nor was it a song someone suggested I listen to.
One morning while my wife was playing a series of tunes by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, this song came on. I had never heard it before, even though it has been around for a number of years. The song is called, “I Surrender.”
Doing God’s will is not easy; in fact, sometimes it is very difficult. The moment you rise up to submit to God and surrender your life to His will, you face reason upon reason not to do it. But while tempted to walk away and choose the road of personal comfort, sameness, and familiarity where risks are minimal and the future seems secure, God calls you again to surrender to Him. Yes, “Here am I Lord, send me.”
Speaking of this song, “I Surrender,” perhaps the words of the first verse and chorus will minister to you as they have to me and still do today:
I know Lord Your plan for me is right
I need You to fulfill
Your purpose in my life
I submit to You my King
Be my everything
I’m coming to You again
Lord here I am
I surrender I surrender
Lord I surrender my life
Give it all to You
I surrender I surrender
Lord I surrender my life
Give it all to You
Until we surrender to Jesus fully, we will have little to no prospect of a revival in our hearts, limited to no stirring of the Spirit in our churches, and little to no spiritual awakening in our land. True revival is nothing less and nothing more than the manifest presence of God in our lives.
A surrendered Christian, a surrendered pastor, and a surrendered church will experience spiritual revival.
God does not will that our life and leadership are spiritually powerless, lukewarm, ineffective, and purposeless. He does will this for you and me:
1. Give 100 percent of yourself to Jesus daily.
I often pray these words regularly and more often now, daily: “Lord, I give 100 percent of me to 100 percent of You so that 100 percent of You will work through 100 percent of me.”
Spiritual power is not found in holding on to what you have; spiritual power is discovered and released when you release yourself to God. We will never choose to let God have His way with us if we continue to hang on to our own desires, our own dreams, and our own bondage. Just go ahead and pray it now, “Lord, I surrender.”
2. Trust God really knows what is best for you.
Surrendering to God is abandoning all that we have in order to receive all that God possesses and has for our future. When we enter God’s gateway to supernatural power for living, we begin to learn what a surrendered life looks like.
Right now in my life, I am trusting God really knows what is best for us. It is not easy; if fact, it is very difficult.
Back to the song again… I don’t know how many times I have listened to it. In fact, Jeana remarks at times, “You have played the song several times today, are you okay?” I reply, “Yes, I just need to be reminded again and again what I have done in prayer already.”
So, I guess I feel as if I am the one singing this second verse of its lyrics:
Humble and broken I come to You
I’m trusting and waiting
To see what You will do
Lord You know what’s best
And at Your feet I find my rest
I’m coming to You again
Lord here I am
Again and again, and yes, even again, I go to God and surrender. He does know what is best for me and that is why I keep coming to Him.
I believe this is God’s will for my life and ministry. Do you believe this regardless of your vocation? I hope so. Join me now: “Lord, I surrender my life to you.”
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Ronnie Floyd is the senior pastor of Cross Church and president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. He is the author of “Living Fit: Make Your Life Count by Pursuing a Healthy You” (B&H Books). Follow him @ronniefloyd.