Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5
A Prayer of Relinquishment
Today, O Lord, I yield myself to you.
May your will be my delight today.
May your way have perfect sway in me.
May your love be the pattern of my living.
I surrender to you
my hopes,
my dreams,
my ambitions.
Do with them what you will, when you will, as you will.
I place into your loving care
my family,
my friends,
my future.
Care for them with a care that I can never give.
I release into your hands
my need to control,
my craving for status,
my fear of obscurity.
Eradicate the evil, purify the good, and establish your
kingdom on earth.
For Jesus’ sake,
Amen.
Richard Foster in Prayers of the Heart (New York: HarperCollins, 1994) 24.
Soak in this prayer on this Saturday.
Discover that only in releasing do we gain, only in surrendering our will do we discover God’s good and perfect will, and only in yielding do we find freedom.
Ultimately it celebrates God’s generous care for each of us.
Imagine trying to live the generous life without dependence on such care. We’d have no peace, no joy, and no contentment! Only through relinquishment do we receive all God has for us.
And as our situations constantly change, we get to relearn this daily.