Thursday, February 28: A Prayer of Surrender

Begin your prayer time by lighting a candle or by ringing the opening bell in the right hand column at the website here. Allow the ringing of the bell to draw you into sacred space with God. Take a few deep breaths, breathing in God's love and presence, breathing out any distractions, plans or worries.

Lord, Jesus Christ, teach me to pray.

Prepare yourself for the reading of the scripture passage by asking God to speak to you in this passage.  Read the passage slowly with both the mind and the heart, at least two times.   Recall that the Psalms are the Prayerbook of the Bible.  I invite you to pray this passage.

Psalm 131

Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.

I don’t concern myself with matters
too great or awesome for me.

But I have stilled and quieted myself,
just as a small child is quiet with its mother.
Yes, like a small child is my soul within me.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord--
now and always.   

This passage very gently and naturally leads us into a prayer of surrender.  Sometimes we think of surrender as having to be bent to another’s will such as the surrender that we see happening in war or when someone has power over us and we are forced to accept their will.  But the surrender we see in this passage is very different.  Can you see the surrender in the child on the mother’s lap?  Safe, protected, trusting.  Knowing that the mother would only do whatever is absolutely loving and best for her child.  Can we surrender to God in the same way?  

To pray a prayer of surrender is a prayer of communion.  It is simply being in God’s presence and saying I trust you. I trust your will for me.  Spend a few moments in this prayer.  

How did it feel to imagine resting in God with this image?  Were you able to quiet and still yourself?  Did you experience any response from God when you surrendered?  Record your thoughts in your prayer journal.

Loving God, in You I live and move and have my being. Throughout this day and all of my life, may I live with a sense of safety, protection and trust, knowing that you desire all that is best for me. Help me to love you as You love me. Amen.