Sermon Central
-
The Prayer Of Surrender Series
Contributed by Joel Bernardino on Jan 30, 2026 (message contributor)
Summary: The greatest prayers in the Bible were not prayers of petition, but prayers that said, “Lord, let Your will be done in me.”
THE PRAYER OF SURRENDER
Pastor Joel Bernardino – January 30, 2026
Many of us pray daily.
We pray for provision, healing, guidance, and protection.
But how about the prayer of surrender?
Many people think surrender is a negative thing.
• As if you are losing
• Sounds like giving up
• Shows weakness
In the Kingdom of God, surrender is the pathway to freedom, power, and peace.
Rick Warren says, “The more you give yourself to God, the more He can use you.”
Surrender is not weakness.
Surrender is trust.
The greatest prayers in the Bible were not prayers of petition,
but prayers that said, “Lord, let Your will be done in me.”
Luke 22:42, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
Romans 6:13, “Offer yourselves to God… as instruments of righteousness.”
Will you trust God enough to surrender?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SURRENDER TO GOD?
Surrender is active cooperation with God.
• It is not passive.
• It is our everyday choice to follow God.
• It is praying for God’s will to prevail in your life.
Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you… to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.”
Surrender means saying “Yes” to God’s will.
By saying yes, you stop arguing with God and start agreeing with Him.
To say “Yes” to God’s will means:
• Obeying even when we don’t fully understand
• Trusting even when it’s uncomfortable
• Choosing God’s way over our own preference
Many people say, “Lord, bless my plans,”
but surrender says, “Lord, I choose Your plans.”
Jesus modeled this perfectly in Gethsemane:
“Not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
That was not an easy prayer—it was a costly yes.
Surrender means putting God in control, not ourselves.
Many believers believe in God—but still try to control everything.
Surrender means we stop:
• Playing God
• Forcing outcomes
• Manipulating people and situations
Letting God be God means acknowledging:
• He is wiser than us
• He sees what we cannot see
• He works beyond our timeline
Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are not your thoughts…”
Faith is not trusting God after we understand.
Faith is trusting God before we understand.
This is often the hardest part of surrender.
We like to say:
• “I’ve got this”
• “Let me handle it”
• “I know what’s best”
But surrender says:
• “Lord, take over”
• “You lead, I follow”
• “You decide, I obey”
Proverbs 3:5–6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”
Putting God in control means:
• Releasing fear
• Releasing pride
• Releasing the need to control outcomes
Control is rooted in fear.
Surrender is rooted in trust.
Illus: Imagine sitting in the passenger seat while God is driving.
Many of us are backseat drivers:
“Lord, slow down!”
“Lord, turn left!”
“Lord, I think You missed the exit!”
True surrender is staying quiet,
fastening the seatbelt,
and trusting the Driver.
JESUS MODELED THE PRAYER OF SURRENDER
Luke 22:42, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”
In Gethsemane, Jesus was honest about His pain.
• He did not hide His struggle.
• But He surrendered His will to the Father.
Surrender does not mean silence—it means submission.
• Jesus chose obedience over comfort.
• He expressed His desire.
• He submitted His will.
SURRENDER COMES FIRST BEFORE SPIRITUAL POWER
James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
Before resurrection power came,
there was surrender in the garden.
Before victory,
there was yielding.
God releases power only to those who are willing to obey.
We want the power of God without the posture of surrender.
But there is no crown without the cross.
God Works Best Through Surrendered People
The key to being used by God is not talent, but surrender.
• Abraham when he surrendered Isaac
• Moses when he surrendered his fear
• Mary when she surrendered her future
• Jesus when He surrendered His will
God does not look for ability—
He looks for availability.
CLOSING:
The greatest decision you will ever make is not success, money, or achievement.
It is this decision:
Will I surrender my life to God?
• My Will
– “Lord, not what I want, but what You want.”
• My Plans
– God’s delays are often divine direction.
• My Timing
– God is never late, never early—always right.
• My Pain
– Healing begins where surrender starts.
• My Future
– Faith means trusting what we cannot see.
