Surrender

I struggle with prayer sometimes. It's not that I don't think God is listening, because I know he always is. It's just that he doesn't always answer. I'm not sure why he says yes to some prayers and no to others. My guess is, that he knows better than I do.

Over the last couple of years, I've started changing my prayer style. Rather than the "ask and you shall receive" (John 16:24) and "faith can move mountains" (Matthew 17:20) philosophy, I've begun to err towards the side of "YOUR kingdom come, YOUR will be done" (Matthew 6:10).

Surrender - it's a simple concept really. Rather than asking and expecting to receive, I've been telling God what I want and then saying, "But I know that your plans are better than mine, so Lord, I want to follow your will for my life. If this isn't of you, take away my desire."

I know God knows the desires of my heart. He loves me SO much and has the best possible life mapped out for me. If I follow his course, I am going to have a better life. It's not a guarantee that I won't hit heartache or disappointment, but it is a guarantee that I'm going to have a fulfilling life.

It's amazing how when I pray that prayer of surrender, a peace that transcends understanding always fills me. (Philippians 4:7)

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)