Surrendering to God is an ongoing, empowering journey we undertake as beloved children of God. It is a deliberate and active process that involves embracing God’s goodness, acknowledging His superiority, and trusting in His ability to guide us lovingly. This intentional act requires us to align our lives with God’s purpose and wisdom willingly.
Surrendering involves releasing our need for control and joyfully submitting to God’s leadership in every aspect of our lives. Our humble submission is a powerful affirmation of our belief that God knows what is best for us. As we wholeheartedly surrender, we open ourselves to receive the abundant blessings that flow from His gracious hand.
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As we navigate life, we will undoubtedly encounter unexpected twists and turns, and life may not always go according to our plans. However, we can find peace by trusting God and embracing His plan. Surrendering to God involves accepting whatever comes our way. Even when we struggle to comprehend the reasons behind certain events, we trust and have faith that we are never alone and God Almighty is always looking out for us. This trust can bring peace, enabling us to navigate life’s trials gracefully and effortlessly.
When we surrender, we can alleviate worry by prioritizing and following God’s rule. It’s common for us to worry and try to predict how things will unfold. However, God advises us to trust Him completely and not rely on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Even though it may not be our natural response, placing our trust in God is the best decision we can make each day. As we learn to depend on Him and follow His lead, He promises to guide us in the right direction, ensuring our paths are straight (Proverbs 3:6).
The Benefits of Surrendering To God
Surrendering to God has benefits. Surrender can bring peace as God invites us to “be still and know He is God (Psalm 46:10). Our Father encourages us to give Him our burdens and move forward with a lighter heart. By letting go of worries about the future and regrets of the past, we can be more present and find peace in appreciating the good things in the current moment. Accepting what we can’t change and giving it to God instead reduces struggle and allows us to focus on what we can control – our thoughts, actions, and reactions.
Surrendering to God not only brings peace but also empowers us. When we commit to living our lives in alignment with God’s will, we may still encounter difficulties, but when we confront them with faith and the assurance of God’s assistance, we know that we can overcome everything with God’s help. Knowing that the Almighty is directing our path instills a profound inner strength, reminding us that we can do all things through His strength (Philippians 4:13).
By surrendering our lives to God’s will, we gain a renewed sense of purpose and direction that emphasizes the importance of community and a deeper connection to others. Instead of feeling disconnected and as if we must deal with everything alone, surrendering to God leads us to celebrate and share our beliefs with others, which can be a great source of strength and comfort as we find others who share our love for God and are trying to walk with Him.
Surrender To God in Prayer
Surrendering to God requires consistently aligning our lives with God’s will. It is not a one-time experience. This ongoing process of prayer will strengthen our faith and is essential to serving God. Prayer is a powerful tool for both communication and active listening. It lets us confidently express our needs and desires while remaining receptive to God’s guidance.
When we pray and listen for direction from God, He promises to illuminate our path. God will never direct us to go against what is in the Bible, but rather, during prayer time and when we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit highlights the Word in our hearts so that we have “a lamp for our feet (Psalm 119:105).” This lamp will remind us of God’s plan for our lives. The Holy Spirit can illuminate specific passages relevant to our situation. These passages can provide direction and comfort.
During prayer, we communicate our surrender and willingness to yield to God’s way. Praying enables us to express ourselves to God and offers a safe and open environment to share our requests while submitting our desires to His wisdom. Expressing our feelings, worries, and hopes to God strengthens our relationship, as we trust that He hears us and cares.
Prayer also helps us express our gratitude for the blessings we have received. Remembering and focusing our appreciation on God’s goodness and faithfulness enables our hearts to be more receptive to God’s abundant grace. Prayer is one way we praise and worship God. When we recall how God has answered our prayers in the past, we approach Him with thanksgiving instead of anxiety, and we are better able to hear and receive more blessings and guidance.
A Prayer To Surrender to God
Our Heavenly Father loves us and promises to hear us when we pray. Rather than carrying our burdens alone, let’s invite Him in with this prayer to surrender to God. Let’s ask Him to show us His Divine plan and guide us on the path He knows is best for us. Let’s bow our heads together today, confident that He will answer.
Temptation is a complex term that we often take lightly. We usually use it to describe our lack of willpower as we indulge in something we shouldn’t, like eating chocolate cake on a diet. However, it’s essential to understand that giving in to temptation can profoundly impact our lives. For instance, Adam and Eve changed the world by not resisting temptation.
In this post, I will explain how temptation relates to Biblical principles to help us understand why the enemy sends temptation. We will also explore the three types of temptations the enemy uses. Lastly, we will gain clarity about what is at stake and the weapons in our arsenal to overcome temptation. We must understand that falling prey to temptation isn’t just a trivial matter of breaking a rule or two; the enemy tempts us to challenge our decision to put God in charge of our lives.
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While half awake this morning, I heard a distinct and profound question in my heart and mind. The question was, “Who is your ruler?” As I pondered this, I realized how complex and critical the question is. I believe God was inviting me to a deeper understanding that every decision in this life reveals who we serve, who has Lordship over our lives, and whose truths we choose to accept.
To Overcome Temptation, We Must Decide Who Rules and Reigns
At some point in our lives, we must decide who we will allow to rule and reign in our hearts. Our ultimate purpose should be to please God by living obediently and faithfully. We should consider God our only ruler and strive to lead a life that aligns with His teachings.
The adversary works tirelessly to prevent us from seeking and serving God properly. He urges us to serve him instead, but how does the enemy tempt us? He does not say, “Hey, follow me; I am your enemy.” Instead, he allures us away from God by drawing us with things we think we want. Essentially, as we go after and follow our selfish desires, we effortlessly move away from what God wants for us.
The adversary wants us to fail in our faith, and he desires to see us make decisions in life without listening to or consulting God. The enemy’s goal is to cause us to turn away from God and serve him or our desires rather than follow God’s instructions. As followers of Christ, we must make every effort to live according to God’s Biblical principles, declaring our allegiance to the only true God.
We must willingly embrace Biblical views that are vastly different from our old ways of thinking and the enemy’s instant gratification lifestyle. We cannot serve God and the enemy, and we cannot serve God and ourselves simultaneously. We must choose wisely.
The Battle Between God’s Plan And Temptation
God desires to bless us with good things. He takes pleasure in blessing His children. However, God instructs us to seek Him first, according to Matthew 6:33, which says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Every individual has a divine plan from God, and he longs to lead us towards a purposeful life. Our role is to faithfully serve, listen, and follow his plan by faith, recognizing that our obedience or lack of it determines who has rulership over our lives.
If we fall for the enemy’s temptation, he will tempt us to yield or excessively indulge in what we perceive as good for ourselves, with no regard for God’s commands. Succumbing to temptation can eventually trap us in the repercussions of our decisions. If we give in to temptation, we can end up in bondage and be unable to break free from the consequences of our choices.
To live a fulfilled life and surrender to God’s authority, we must learn to listen to His voice and avoid being self-centered. While some actions mentioned in the Bible are obviously wrong, we should be aware that we sin when we give in to temptation and fail to follow God’s guidance or ignore His directions.
In John, the Bible warns us that all temptation falls into three categories, which coincide with the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden. We must identify temptations and learn to sidestep them.
The lust of the flesh (physical body cravings).
The lust of the eyes (things that look good to our eyes).
The pride of life (things that cause us to brag, boast, or be full of pride).
What Is The Temptation Called Lust of the Flesh?
The enemy aims to lure people into disobeying God or desiring things outside His will. He tempts us with earthly pleasures to distract us from God’s plan. When we think of this term, we usually only think of sexual immorality, but this term is all-encompassing and can even include eating food if eating it is against God’s instructions or the vows we have made, like fasting. One of the reasons why Eve ate the fruit was because the tree and the fruit were pleasing to the eye, and the fruit looked good for food (Genesis 3:6).
As humans, we may find the temptations the enemy offers alluring, but it is essential to question whether they align with God’s will. Disobeying God is a sin, and the enemy commonly uses sexual immorality and overindulgence in physical pleasure because it is an effective strategy. As Christians, we must never allow anything to distract us from obeying God, to be idolized in our lives as more important than God, or to be considered equally important to God.
Trusting God can be incredibly challenging when selecting our life partners or significant relationships. God understands our needs and desires, and we must trust Him to give us His best at the right time. Although we crave companionship and connections with others, we must not allow our pursuit of feel-good moments to control our decisions and daily lives.
Any temptation that leads us to sin is a snare set by the enemy. We must never forget that God has engraved His commandments and laws onto our hearts, allowing us to distinguish between right and wrong (Hebrews 10:16). He has also promised to provide a way to escape temptation so we can bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13).
What Is The Temptation Lust of The Eyes?
In the Garden of Eden, Eve’s desire for the forbidden fruit made her prioritize it over God’s instructions. Similarly, Satan also tempted Jesus with material possessions when he was fasting, but Jesus did not fall for the trap.
God wants us to prioritize righteousness, and He promises to fulfill our needs (Matthew 5:6). While we need material possessions like food, clothing, and shelter, we should not pursue them in a way that disobeys God or leads us to sin. Instead, we should trust that God will provide for our needs.
It is essential to exercise caution in this area because the enemy tends to distract us with shiny objects. The adversary may even try to entice us into obtaining material possessions through means that violate God’s laws. Stealing, lying, or any other form of ill-gotten gain is a sin, and the reasons behind our attempts to outshine others or obtain things that do not belong to us will ultimately rob us of our peace, joy, and perhaps even our freedom. Although the enemy may try to make us envious of others or covet their possessions, it is crucial to remain content and patient and submit ourselves to God’s will.
What Is The Temptation Called The Pride Of Life?
Being tempted in the area of the pride of life happens when we have conceited desires that stem from pride. Wanting to know as much as God or wanting to show off and bring attention to ourselves for bragging purposes fall into this category.
In Genesis 3, the Bible explains that the serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. The enemy preyed on her desire for more wisdom as he promised that it would make her wise and able to discern good from evil. Eve ate the fruit, wanting to know what God knew, but it was a trap.
In modern times, the enemy uses astrology, the Zodiac, and horoscopes to entice people away from God by offering them wisdom beyond their own. Astrologers claim to explain our behaviors and predict our futures by studying the positions of celestial objects such as the sun, planets, and moon. However, seeking knowledge and understanding through these means can lead people astray, just as it did with Eve.
Unaware of the enemy’s trap, many people seek wisdom in various ways, but some of these methods can be harmful. For example, practices such as Ouija boards, mediums, fortune tellers, and tarot card readers are considered dangerous and potentially harmful. Instead, turning to God for guidance through prayer and reflection on His teachings is recommended. Seeking guidance from anyone or anything else is not in line with God’s will for our lives.
Jesus called boastful pride a sin (Mark 7:22). When the enemy tried to get Jesus to throw himself down and let the angels catch him (Matthew 4:1–11), the adversary tempted Jesus to give in to pride and show off that he was the son of God rather than obey God and submit to the Father.
My Testimony
I have learned and am still learning that if I listen to God, He will bless me at the perfect time. If I get outside of His will, I make a mess. My career goals and materialistic desires drove my decisions as a young and new college graduate. Making money excited me, and I wanted things like a brand-new car. However, a few months later, I realized that the brand-new Mustang I had bought was unsuitable for winter driving, and the payments, coupled with my student loan debt, made me feel less joy and peace as I struggled needlessly.
The problem was that I did not seek God first but gave in to what I thought I wanted, which was only a shiny object and a lot of debt. The reason I even liked that particular car was prideful. I wanted a new car off the showroom floor to announce, ” I have arrived.”
Rather than living motivated by the illusion of material things or pride, we must strive to build our relationship with God. We have to trust that He knows best. He will give us the desires of our hearts, and what he gives, there will be no sorrow attached and no buyer’s remorse.
How Can We Overcome Temptation?
Our Heavenly Father loves us and understands human nature. While He is patient with us, He wants us to be obedient and serve him only. Recognizing that our defiance benefits the enemy, we must scrutinize our lives and identify the temptations the enemy dangles. If needed, we should take the following steps:
Renew your thinking about temptation by aligning it with God’s principles.
Pray and ask God for forgiveness and help with overcoming temptation.
Learn Scriptures to use against the enemy as Jesus did.
Surround yourself with believers who can encourage your faith.
Spend time in God’s presence with worship and activities such as serving others.
The enemy’s job is to tempt us persistently. He will find new ways to allure us daily, but his tactics will fall into three main categories. As we fight the enemy, we must continue to complete the previous steps, knowing that if we fail, God’s grace and love enable us to seek forgiveness and begin anew.
A Prayer To Overcome Temptation
If we view life from God’s perspective and strive to live obedient lives, we will discover how to experience fulfillment and joy through Him. The enemy seeks to keep us from living the abundant life that Jesus died to give us, so he tries to tempt us to stray away from God. When we consciously obey God, He guides us and shows us the way forward.
As we continue to serve God, we will better understand His priorities, our motivations will change, and we will be able to say, as Jesus did, that we desire to carry out the will of our Father. Let’s pray to ask God for help overcoming temptation today.
Breaking habits and creating new ones is hard, but it should not be overwhelming with God on your side. This post will give readers straightforward steps for breaking habits as we strive to create new, healthier habits that bring us closer to God. No one is perfect, and even Christians must self-reflect. Whether we have a habit to break or want to develop healthy habits like exercising or budgeting, we need a strategy to accomplish our goals.
Especially when the New Year comes, we often consider what we want to change for the upcoming year. We all know how hard it is to break a bad habit. Stopping a habit takes great effort and dedication. As Christians, we can take solace in our faith and let God give us guidance, strength, and perseverance to change our habits.
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Identify and Acknowledge Habits To Change In Prayer
The initial step towards breaking a habit is to identify and acknowledge it through prayer. It is essential to regularly communicate with God about our desire to change, confess our struggles, and request His strength, wisdom, and forgiveness. By dedicating specific times for prayer and reflection, such as before bed or in the morning, we can gain the strength and faith required to succeed.
Depending on the magnitude of the change we seek to make, adding fasting to our prayer time may be beneficial. For example, when I was breaking the habit of smoking, I prayed and asked God to help me. As I prayed, I heard the Scripture from Matthew 17:21, where Jesus, speaking of the disciples’ inability to cast out a demon from a boy, said, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” At that moment, I believed that because smoking was a deeply ingrained behavior from my youth, I needed to strengthen my faith with prayer and fasting.
I fasted for three days and promised God that I would only drink liquids; during that time, I prayed, and God was true to his promise. He helped me gain control of my mind to know that he would give me the strength and self-control to overcome the smoking habit. Just as I was able to go three days without food, God helped me understand that others had successfully gone without cigarettes. By fasting and praying, with God’s help, I was convinced that I could go a lifetime without another smoke.
Be Ready To Fight the Enemy’s Lies When Breaking Habits
The fight with habits starts in our minds. We must sift through the enemy’s lies and God’s truths. We have to allow the truth of God to win over the enemy’s lies, and that happens when we finally reach a breaking point where we want to change because we desire to follow after God and live lives that bring Him honor. We must be sick of excuses and ready for change because the enemy will give us plenty of reasons to stay stuck.
We must ready ourselves in prayer for the battle in our mind about the habit. To do this, we arm ourselves with God’s truth and make conscious decisions to stop believing the enemy’s lies. The enemy does not want us to change for the better, nor does he want us to pray. The enemy will try to convince us that change is impossible or too difficult. He may even tell us that the habit is not so bad and that we should deal with it. We must be willing to fight his negative thoughts and adopt the thoughts of faith, which promise that we can do all things through Christ, which strengthens us.
Sometimes, we may feel ashamed or afraid to ask for help because the enemy attacks our faith, makes us feel condemned, and makes us believe that we are not worthy of God’s love. However, we must avoid allowing enemy tactics to defeat us. We need to remind ourselves that our Heavenly Father is always there to help us when we ask for it. Instead of hiding our difficulties, we should run to God with every problem. Remember that the enemy wants us to struggle, but our Heavenly Father wants us to overcome and succeed.
Seek Guidance in Scripture Regarding Breaking Habits
Once you have fasted, prayed, and mentally prepared yourself for the battle ahead, it is time to equip yourself with powerful scriptures to stand on. The Bible is an excellent source of guidance and encouragement for those working toward breaking habits. Just like my prayer time helped me discover a scripture, I believe that whenever you face any difficult situation, God will help you stand by His Word through the Holy Spirit. He will guide you towards a powerful scripture you will recognize as a message from above.
As you look for verses that strengthen your resolve to change, find scriptures that offer encouragement, guidance, and reminders of God’s presence and love. Locating Bible verses is a crucial step because finding and standing on the Word of God strengthens your faith, but it also aligns your heart and mind with what God says about you rather than the enemy’s lies.
One passage that may be helpful as a reminder of why it is essential to break habits that do not glorify God is found in Ephesians 4:22-24 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” As Christians, we must strive to be the new creation and live the abundant life that Jesus died to give us. He wants us to be free from sin and bad habits.
When the enemy whispers that we can not succeed, we can hold on to the promise of 1 Corinthians 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
If you struggle with temptation, pray and remind yourself of the helpful verse in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” This verse reminds us that with God’s help, we can overcome any obstacle, including our bad habits.
Additionally, Psalm 119:9-11 guides how to break bad habits by focusing on God’s word: “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
Lastly, my favorite Scripture in 1 John 4:4 states, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.”
Overall, seeking guidance in Scripture can provide comfort and strength for those looking to break habits, as the Bible reminds us that there is nothing or nobody more significant than the one who lives inside our hearts.
Devise a Strategy For Breaking Habits
Identifying triggers and avoiding the situations, emotions, or thoughts that typically lead you to indulge in your bad habits will be necessary. Once you understand your triggers, you can develop strategies to avoid them or manage your response. For example, if stress makes you overeat, identify healthy coping mechanisms like exercise or talking to a friend.
Don’t shy away from recognizing your temptations. Acknowledge the urge and remind yourself of your commitment to change and why you want to break the habit. This conscious awareness is crucial for making positive choices.
The Bible is clear that if we want the enemy to flee, we must resist him. As the enemy learns that the more he tempts you, the more you will pray to God, eventually, he will lose his hold over you and give up. You have to fight the urge to return to the old nature. Just as Jesus resisted the enemy in the wilderness, you must tell the enemy no using the Word of God. Know that he can not win if you ask God to help you.
After we pray, begin to stand on the Word of God, and identify our triggers, we must find a realistic strategy. There are tools to help us let go of unhealthy habits and reach for healthy ones, but we must be willing to do our part. God will not take anything that we are not willing to give. As much as we want to blink and the habit is gone, it may not work that way. Instead, tools and resources are available to help change our habits, and it is best to use these proven supports.
God doesn’t expect us to be superheroes; it’s okay if we can’t quit a habit cold turkey. Sometimes, it takes time and tools to achieve our goal. In my case, I used a patch to quit smoking, and it took me ten weeks to succeed. I followed the steps, prayed for strength, and thanked God for every successful day until I was finally free and no longer needed the patch.
Seek Support For Changing Habits
Stopping a bad habit can be challenging, and seeking support and encouragement from others can make a big difference. Having someone to talk to is always helpful when you’re feeling tempted, frustrated, or overwhelmed. You could reach out to a friend or family member who has successfully quit a similar habit or consider joining a support group or seeking help from a professional. Just be sure to reach for someone who supports your changes rather than someone who benefits from you remaining stuck in old ways.
Remember, you don’t have to go through this alone; there’s no shame in asking for help. It may be beneficial to surround yourself with supportive Christian communities. Share your struggles and celebrate your successes with a trusted friend, church family, small group, or a mentorship program. When you are in a group, they may teach you new skills or coping mechanisms via counseling or group therapies. Knowing you’re not alone in your journey can be a powerful source of strength and motivation.
A trusted friend or mentor can also hold you accountable for your goals when you share your progress, setbacks, and prayer requests with them. Their support and encouragement can help you stay on track and overcome challenges.
Pray Through Challenges and Praise Through Success When Breaking Habits
The last step in changing our habits brings us back to the first step: praying. We pray through every challenge, and when we have overcome it, we praise God for His faithfulness. As we long to get closer to God, His Holy Spirit will continue challenging us to live in a manner that is more aligned with God’s will and standards. Each time the Holy Spirit reveals an area we must change, we must repeat these steps.
We must be willing to give up the old for the new, and we must be willing to let go of anything that does not honor God. He will help us, but we must willingly let it go as we seek to continue to move forward in our walk with God.
Let’s Pray To Change Our Habits
Breaking habits is a difficult task, but it is possible. We all have the power to overcome bad habits and replace them with new ones that will bring us closer to God. Identifying and acknowledging your bad habits is the first step, followed by prayer. Let’s pray together and start aligning our lives with God’s Word.
Praise and worship are two critical aspects of Christianity. Many believers interchange these words because praise and worship are both ways that we express our love and appreciation for God. While there are many similarities between praise and worship, there are also fundamental differences. We must understand that praise and worship are different expressions of our adoration towards God and have specific purposes.
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What is Praise?
Praise to God is an expression of thanks. We can easily understand this because we praise others for jobs well done in our everyday lives. Giving praise to God means joyfully recounting and thanking God for all he has done for us. Praise is an integral part of the Christian faith. Praise is an acknowledgment and thankful appreciation of what God has done for us.
We praise God in many ways, including using our lips to sing, shout, pray, read scriptures, and speak words of appreciation. Praising God is an expression of gratitude that can include using our talents to play various instruments. Lastly, praise to God can involve using our bodies as we clap, jump, run, dance, or raise and wave our hands with thankfulness in our hearts.
In the Bible, there is a beautiful story about a man who was lame from birth and encountered Peter as he sat asking for alms. As he looked at Peter expecting to receive something, the Bible says that he was healed in the name of Jesus and began to praise God.
“Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God
Acts 3:6-8 KJV
We praise God for His goodness and works. We also praise His name. There is always a reason to praise God. We can praise Him for life, His creation, and provisions. The Bible teaches that everything should praise God (Psalm 150:6). When we praise God, we acknowledge His greatness and show Him that we love and appreciate all He has done for us.
It is important to remember that we praise God for all of our blessings and even for the tough times that come to make us stronger. We don’t just praise God when everything seems to be going perfectly. We also praise God in difficult times. We praise God while we face hard times to declare our faith and as a way of thanking God in advance for His help in our time of need. When we praise God amid challenging times, we declare trust in Him, and He helps us overcome our challenges. Offering praise to God during our difficulties is a statement and posture that communicates our belief in God’s control and ability to work things out for our good.
What is Worship?
Praising God and thanking Him leads us to worship Him, which is why many people use the words interchangeably. Worship is a more profound expression of adoration and reverence for God. When we worship God, we praise Him for who He is and not just for what He has done. Worship is reserved only for God. We are commanded only to worship God as nothing, and nobody else is worthy of our worship. When we worship, we acknowledge God’s greatness with thankfulness. Still, worship also communicates our willingness to humbly submit our lives to the Kingdom of God because we understand He is the Almighty and our everything.
Worshipping is humbling ourselves before God in surrender because we understand who God is is different from what He does. When we worship, we open ourselves up to the presence of God and invite Him to come into our hearts, fill us with His love and peace, correct us, change us, and lead us.
When we worship God, we go beyond praise as we willingly exchange our will for God’s. As Christians, we strive to live a life of humble submission, giving glory to God, and in this way, our life becomes worship. According to the Bible, whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).Worship, therefore, becomes our natural response when we entirely give God lordship over every area of our lives, as summarized by Paul in Romans 12.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 ESV
In the Bible, Jesus states that God is a spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). If praise is saying thank you to God for what He has done and will do, and worship praises God for who He is, then while they are different, they are both critical to our Christian journey.
Where and When Do We Praise and Worship God?
The practice of praise and worshipping God is not limited to a specific place or time. It is a lifestyle change transcending the boundaries of a Sunday morning service. When we embrace praise and worship as a way of life, we invite the presence of God to dwell within us and continuously transform us from the inside out.
In the Bible, when Jesus met the woman by the well, she asked Jesus where people should worship. At that time, there were differences between where the people of Samaria worshipped and where the Jews worshipped. She asked, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” (John 4:20). Jesus’s response indicated that it no longer mattered where, but what was important was how we worship. Jesus explained that we must be true worshippers. God is a spirit; we worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:20-24).
True worship is more about the heart. Praising and worshipping God should not be something we only do on Sunday or at church. Although praise and worship can happen at church, to only praise and worship God corporately on Sunday is equal to limiting all the blessings that praising and worshipping God brings. Trust me, we need the benefits of praise and worship every day, not just once a week, and God is seeking those who worship Him at all times.
When we wake up in the morning, we should take some time to praise God for His goodness and His love. We could sing a song of praise, read a passage of Scripture, or take a few minutes to meditate on His greatness with gratitude. As we go about our day, we can praise God for what we see, hear, and experience. We thank Him for the beauty of nature, the kindness of others, and even the challenges we face. Additionally, before we go to bed, we can reflect on the day and praise God for all He has done. You could pray a prayer of thanksgiving or sing a song of praise.
What Happens When We Praise and Worship God?
One of the most significant transformations that can occur through praise and worship is a heightened sense of intimacy with God. As we express our adoration and gratitude through praise and worship, we create an atmosphere that invites His presence to dwell among us. In this sacred space, we experience a closeness to God that transcends our earthly limitations, allowing us to connect with God on a spiritual level. This deepening of intimacy can profoundly impact our faith journey, strengthening our relationship with God and increasing our understanding of His love and grace. As we grow in our faith, we become a light to others, bringing God more glory.
When we genuinely adore God, our focus shifts from ourselves and our desires to the desires of our Heavenly Father. This shift in perspective aligns us with the will of God, allowing Him to guide and direct our paths. In this state of surrender, we become vessels through which God’s blessings can flow to us and through us to others.
When we surrender in worship, we invite God into our lives so that He can work in our hearts and minds to conform us to His image, and we begin to see practical changes. Praise and worship experiences increase our joy and happiness. When we focus on God’s goodness and His love, it helps us to feel more joyful and content. Praising and worshipping God reduces stress and anxiety as it helps calm our minds and bodies and helps us cope with difficult situations. As we relax and become less stressed, we can experience better relationships. We become more kind, compassionate, forgiving, and loving toward others, leading others to the Kingdom.
Pray a Prayer of Praise and Worship
Worship is a gift from God, and one of my favorite ways to worship God is by praying. When we pray, we can praise and worship our Heavenly Father while we invite Him into our lives. Let’s make worship part of our daily lives to experience more joy and blessings. No matter how you choose to praise and worship God, the important thing is that you do it from a heart of love and gratitude. When you praise and worship God, you are not only honoring Him, but you are also drawing closer to Him. Let’s pray together now.
What was your last thought before you went to bed last night? Did you go to sleep with worry, stress, or fear? What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? Did you wake up with the same or similar feelings? So many things fight for attention and priority in our lives, but no matter what, we must find joy and peace by putting God first. God does not want us to live with fear, stress, and regret but to live joyfully. Putting God first means we allow God into every area of our life, and we trust Him to handle everything.
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Unfortunately, when we think of putting God first, we immediately consider the tasks we should do. For example, we may think of praying, attending church, reading the Bible, fasting, or giving. We must deal with our thoughts before our actions can get in line. We must evaluate what takes up our headspace and determine if God is first there.
We must ask ourselves what or who is consuming our thoughts and actions. If we are not waking up with joy and peace, we may have some things out of order. When God is first, everything else falls in line perfectly. Not putting God first is like skipping the first buttonhole on our shirt, and everything is out of order. A genuine relationship with God begins with our belief in who God is and where He fits in our lives. If God is the most important to us, we will live praying, loving, believing, and trusting Him, leading to peace and joy.
Make a Decision To Put God First
Every day, we decideto respond to life’s circumstances according to God’s Word or rely on something or someone else. As we deal with life’s ups and downs, we must decide whether to depend on ourselves, our feelings and strength, or God’s commands and promises. We must also determine the most important: our fleshly desires and comfort or God’s Kingdom purposes and plans.
We must be careful because anything that is above God in our lives is an idol. We must be careful not to let anything become more important or more of a priority than our relationship with God and His purpose and plans for our lives. Nothing can be allowed to consume more time in our minds or actions than God, including:
People
Emotions
Possessions
Addictions
Put God Before People
The first commandment reminds us to put God first (Deuteronomy 5:7 ESV). We should love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds (Mark 12:30).God also wants us to love others, starting with our spouse, kids, and parents. We reap spiritual benefits for generations when we love our family as God has commanded. In addition to our family, we are called to love other people, but no one comes before God. Everything and everyone in our lives must come second as we put God first. When problems arise with people, we must pray for them and trust God to intervene.
Put God Before Emotions
When we serve God wholeheartedly and put Him first, our soul prospers, and our joy and peace increase. Our emotions cannot be trusted, and we must be careful not to let them rule our actions or take up more headspace than they ought. Our relationship with God and obedience to His Word must not rest on our feelings or emotions.
If the enemy thinks that He can control us by messing with our emotional responses, then that is where He will aim. The Bible warns that we must go through seasons, but no matter what, we run to God and keep Him first. There will be times of joy and pain. When we are happy, we should praise God; when we’re sorrowful, we should pray to God.
When we put God first, we trust that God will take care of us (Joshua 1:9). Instead of panicking and withdrawing, we give all of our worries to God, and we face our trials and tribulations with bold confidence in Him (Ephesians 3:12). We do this by casting all of our cares upon Him in prayer, asking, and believing with faith that He will handle our situations. Even when it looks complicated, and we can not see our way out of trouble, we must believe God has a plan. We must look at whatever is causing us emotional pain and consider it a mountain that is not too big for God to handle. We can not let the problem be more prominent in our lives than our God.
Put God Before Possessions
When I was younger, I wanted to live with a big house, a maid, fast cars, and a big yard. Nothing is wrong with having hopes, dreams, and desires, but God wants to be first. If our desire to have something takes us away from the pursuit of having a stable relationship with God, there is a problem, and our priorities are out of order.
God knows what is best for us, and we must trust Him to bless us in a way that will be good for us and bring Him glory. I know now that the maid would have made me lazy, fast cars would have led to reckless driving, and the big house may have caused prideful living. We must understand that God desires to give good gifts.
Our possessions cannot become idols or stumbling blocks in our lives. God wants us to seek Him first and be willing to be content without earthly treasures. We should never be so determined to get something in this life that negatively impacts our relationship with God.
Put God Before Addictions
As Christians, we should be free and not bound to anything, but sometimes, we have habits or addictions that control us. We can not allow any substance or behavior to enslave us, master us, or dictate our thoughts and actions. Whenever we allow something to draw us into repetitive behavior that does not bring glory to God, we must ask God to help. The problem with addictions is that they consume us and become idols in our lives. When we turn to addictions rather than God, we are not putting Him first.
God wants us to run to him at all times, but sometimes people mistakenly run away from God and toward an addictive behavior or substance when dealing with stress. Addiction satisfies the flesh, but God calls us to set our minds on the things above. God can deliver, heal, and restore us, but we must be willing to ask for His help and work through becoming free.
God can offer instant freedom from addictions, but often, we must break free by trusting Him daily and step by step. God wants to give us a new life free from all the chains that bind us, but we must allow Him.
A Prayer Find Joy And Peace By Putting God First
When we put God first, everything else falls in line correctly. Sometimes, we carry stress, fear, and regret when God wants to give us peace and joy. It is far better to allow God and His love, mercy, and promises to have center stage. Let’s pray and ask God to help us put Him first so that we receive His peace and joy in our lives.
I would like to humbly share a little about my journey this week because it illustrates my point. I hope that my testimony and authenticity are a blessing to someone else. Would you please allow me to reintroduce myself? I am Dr. Krystal R. Simpson, a child of God, a work in progress, a mom, a wife, a long-time Avon lady, an author, and a teacher. As an occupation, I work in a school as a speech-language pathologist, meaning I teach children with speech and language difficulties.
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I felt inspired to return to school to earn my doctorate a few years ago. I thought that I was going back to school to begin teaching the younger Speech-Language Pathologists. I imagined that I would apply to work at a university as a professor or clinical supervisor, but God had other plans.
After finishing my degree, I played around on the computer one day and stumbled across a marketer who sold a course I could participate in online. The course promised to teach me how to build a website. I paid for the course and planned to build a website for network marketing. As I tried to build that site, I could not create anything that made sense. Nothing was working.
I can not adequately explain it, but I felt that God led me to abandon my ideas for the website by putting Him first and creating a website that would teach others about Him. Everything the course showed how to do suddenly made sense when I was obedient, and I started the website. I wish that I could tell you that it was an instant success, but the truth that God is leading me to share is that I was reluctant to share the blog posts. I wrote, but I did not publish the material. Everything remained in draft mode for months.
One evening, a friend who lives far away called, and I shared with her that I had created a blog. There was a post on the site that I thought would help her. When she asked for the URL, I shared it with her. From then on, I knew she would not see subsequent posts if I did not publish them. God used my friend to help me get over my reluctance.
After graduating with my degree, I applied for new jobs but did not even get a phone interview. Initially, I was discouraged because nothing was going as planned or meeting my expectations. Then suddenly, COVID-19 came, and I realized that changing jobs would have been challenging. I can better see that God had a plan, and I am thankful.
Benefits of Surrendering To God
There are benefits to surrendering to God and His plan for our lives. It is often difficult to understand God’s heart and why He would want to use broken people to partner with Him for Kingdom purposes. All we know is that God is not human, and His grace and goodness are beyond our explanations.
God has a plan, it is a good plan, and we are all part of it (Jeremiah 29:11). God wants us to live passionate, abundant lives that bear fruit of eternal value. We shouldn’t live a life whose impact only lasts for this life. God has called us to share His heart with the world in His grace and love. If we allow it, He will use us to multiply His love and grace to others.
Obedience and Surrender To God
Our God is intentional. Although some things seem to happen out of the blue, God is not random and always has a plan. His plans are for our benefit and others. He invites us to partner with Him for the Kingdom, but we must accept the invitation. God is looking for obedience as we surrender. We will not feel adequate regardless of what God calls us to do. We aren’t qualified, but we should strive to be willing vessels. Our obedience and surrender to God is a step of faith; we trust Him.
Think back to Moses in Exodus 3, when God tells Moses he will lead the Israelites out of bondage to Pharoah in Egypt. Moses felt unqualified and even questioned God. God did not get angry but lovingly replied to Moses and helped him through his reluctance.
In another story from the Bible, God called Jeremiah to become a prophet. At first, Jeremiah’s initial reaction was to tell God that he did not know how to speak and was too young for the task. However, God was able to help both Moses and Jeremiah understand what they were supposed to do. More importantly, God supported them through their reluctance to fulfill their destiny and Kingdom purpose. God used them despite their initial feelings of inadequacy because they were willing to be obedient and surrender to His will.
Total Surrender To God
When we ask God to use us in the Kingdom, we usually want to help God choose how to use us. We typically wish to have a simple assignment. We want the one that is only “one day a week or just a few hours” kind of ministry. God wants us to permit Him to do what He knows is best for us. Giving God our total surrender allows Him to exchange our plans for His.
The world tells us to map out our future, plan, and grind it out to make it happen. It is not easy to give control away, but that is what God asks. He wants us to trust Him and surrender to His will and way. If we agree, God will equip us, lead us, and multiply our efforts. He promises that He will give us abundant life. For some, the problem is that we think that we have an abundant life now. We would instead hold tightly to what we have rather than trust what is unknown. The bottom line is that we must be willing to be obedient even when we feel reluctant.
The enemy uses fear to cause us to become reluctant to surrender to God. We must be aware of his schemes. First of all, the enemy causes us to fear our failures, ineptness, and lack. Secondly, He also tries to make us scared of what God would ask of us. He wants us to fear that God will ask something too hard, cost everything, or be unenjoyable. We combat these thoughts by remembering that God is a good Father, and He wishes to bless His children.
The Power of Surrendering To God
As I write new blog posts, I have been growing more comfortable publishing posts and prayers each week, but God keeps nudging me. God wants to perfect us, which requires our faith, trust, and constant surrendering of our will. God knows that it is not easy, and He will help us understand when we ask. In our humility, we will often feel and sound like Moses as we pray and ask God, who am I?
Allow me to share the answer that God gave me today. Today, my answer came from a preacher who reminded me that when I surrender my will, I am in Jesus, and His Spirit lives in me. In this way, I am like a piece of paper folded up and nestled safely in the Bible, which is the Word of God. As long as I am in the Word (Jesus), what is seen is not me but God and His all-powerful word. In other words, it is not about who I am but where I am and who is in me. God lovingly reminded me that I am hidden, but there is power in my place in Jesus Christ.
God showed me the power of His multiplication. He will multiply everything that we are willing to do for Him. For instance, He showed me how one blog post or prayer received hundreds of thousands of views worldwide in one month.
Like any multiplication problem, God reminded me that we get zero if we multiply anything by 0. God showed me that although there were people who His Word and messages could bless if we let fear and reluctance control us, we would be multiplying His powerful potential by zero.
We must understand the power of surrender in our own lives. Obedience yields an increase of good fruit in God’s hands. We are all different and have a God-given ministry or sphere of influence. Never downplay that. Sometimes, we may see our sphere of influence as small, but it becomes exponential when God multiplies our reach with His power.
A Surrender To God Prayer
Every encounter with the children and staff at school, my immediate and remote relatives, my church family, and every person I meet represents an opportunity to spread God’s love. The same is true for you.
Your life is also multifaceted. Like me, I know that you wear many hats. No matter how you introduce yourself, if in your heart you also say, “I am a child of God,” then you have a purpose, plan, and sphere to influence. God wants to live in and through you, each of us, to affect those around us. Too often, we think that God only uses certain people. He wants to work through His people. The question is, will you surrender and be obedient? Let’s ask God in prayer to help us.
Do you live a crucified life? As we enter the spring season and celebrate Jesus, the cross is ever-present in our minds. During this time, we praise and celebrate Jesus for giving us a way to the Father. When Jesus came to Earth and died upon the cross, we know He provided us with an opportunity to be reconciled with God, but He also gave instructions on how to live our lives after He left.
I believe God wants to remind us that we each need to “live a crucified life,” and we must understand what that truly means. Living a crucified life means that we obey God, humble ourselves, and die to ourselves. Let’s take a close look at each of these.
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Live A Crucified Life of Obedience
Living a crucified life starts with following the commandments. Nowadays, we tend to want to set aside the commandments or write them off as no longer relevant. The commandments will always be important, reminding us how to live the cross. The cross and the commandments are all about love. As we look at the cross, we must remember to love God and others. In this way, we reach up to Heaven and reach out to our fellow man.
Jesus told us that we should not set the commandments aside or teach others to do so. Instead, we are to practice and teach the commandments.
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus explained that if we want to be great, we must be servants (Matthew 20:26). Living a crucified life means you willingly humble yourself before a mighty God in total surrender.
Serve God
As Christians, we should be servants. Jesus demonstrated this by example, as he served God and obediently showed us how to obey and do the will of the Father.
A servant recognizes who the boss is. The Bible teaches that we must come to God as little children. When we come to God as a child, we humbly surrender to His will for our lives. If we want to be followers of Christ, we must follow Christ’s example by submitting our lives to the Father the way He did.
As Christians, we must voluntarily set aside our rights and exchange them for a life that loves, serves, and obeys the will of God in Christ Jesus. In other words, we surrender to the will of God for our lives rather than try to make up our own rules because we trust and believe that the Father loves us and has our best interest at heart at all times. Out of love for the Father in Christ, as we go about our day, we seek to serve God and bring Him glory in all we do and say.
Serve Others
Jesus willingly washed his disciples’ feet as he taught them that we must be willing to help each other the way He did. The Bible teaches us to serve one another through love (Galatians 5:13 ESV).
Additionally, the Bible tells us to take care of the “least of these,” which are those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, sick, and those who are in prison or need clothes (Matthew 25:40-45).
Live a Crucified Life By Dying to Yourself
As we spend this season remembering Jesus’ crucifixion, we must make His sacrifice personal by considering our own lives. The Bible commands Christians to live a crucified life with Christ by dying to themselves. We must die to ourselves daily and allow Christ to live in and through us.
Additionally, we all must take up our cross. God has given each of us talents and responsibilities. We each have a home, children, a job, or some circle of influence. We must be willing to let the love of God and the light of Jesus shine through us so that others can find their way to salvation.
A Prayer to Live a Crucified Life
As Christians, if we want to honor God, we must live in obedience and humility as a servant. The enemy will fight us in this area and try to get us to become prideful and selfish. This week’s prayer to live a crucified life is one that we will need to pray as we commit to living the life that God has designed.
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