Total Surrender to God
Short lessons and prayers that help us surrender to God
United with Jesus and with the power of his Holy Spirit, we can surrender our will to him
and decide to choose what his Son has always chosen: to do what is pleasing to the Father.
In committing ourselves to Christ, we can become one spirit with him, and thereby
accomplish his will, in such wise that it will be perfect on earth as it is in heaven.
CCC 2825
Have you ever wondered how to know God’s will?
You are not alone! From new believers to seminary graduates to people with years of experience in Christian service, “How do I know God’s will for me?” is one of the most common questions asked by Christians. This website provides practical tools from the Holy Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) that help us establish and strengthen a personal connection with God, making it easier for us to hear and respond to the “still, small voice of God", and leading us to experience the joyful fire of God's merciful love and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
Becoming a Feather on God’s Breath
St. Hildegard of Bingen once described herself as "a feather on the breath of God." This should be our goal as Christians: to be so in tune with God—Paul says actually "having the mind of Christ"—and so totally surrendered to God with our only goal being to do His will, that God only needs to give a little nudge to get us moving in the desired direction.
Why Is This Important Now?
It is always important to give ourselves totally to God so we can hear His voice and be in His will—doing only what He wants us to do, when and how He wants us to do it. However, it is especially important in times of turmoil like we are experiencing since 2020, because we need to ensure we don’t take action on our own without God's guidance and support, but also don’t hold back when He wants us to step out in faith.
Why Surrender?
Because God wants us to love Him, He has given us free will. It is up to us whether we choose to love God, hate God, or just try to ignore Him. To love God means to trust Him to the point that we put ourselves completely in His hands, seeking only His will for His Kingdom and His Glory.
Why Is That So Difficult?
Even if we want to surrender to God, our innate pride gets in the way. God wants us to be like His Son, but just as Adam and Eve thought they could do better on their own by eating the forbidden fruit, we also think we can do better on our own, plus we may be afraid of what God might ask of us.
The Saints Show Us the Way
The one common factor of all the saints is that they were totally surrendered to God, seeking only His will for His kingdom and His glory. Each saint encouraged God to do whatever it took to conform them to Christ. They cooperated with God as He emptied and cleansed them of their selfish desires so He could fill them with the joyful fire of His merciful love. This allowed them to love God, their neighbors, and even their enemies with the self-sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated to us on the cross.
Saints Persevered in Faith
The joyful fire of God’s merciful love strengthened the saints to persevere in their faith in spite of mistreatment, persecution, and even martyrdom— joyfully accepting whatever God allowed them to experience as they sought to accomplish any task, however large or small, that God set before them. Whenever they were tempted to become discouraged, they would say with the psalmist: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him!
Learning From the Saints
This website provides some of the most powerful prayers of surrender from the saints and other Christians. Praying these prayers will put you in touch with the Holy Spirit living within you, so the Holy Spirit can lead you further along the path God has for you.
The Wonderful Results of Total Surrender
- Total surrender to God allows Him to remove our heart of stone, so He can give us a new heart and put a new spirit in us, filling us with the joyful fire of His merciful love so we can hear His voice and remain in His will.
- This results in the most joyful and fulfilled life possible as we are becoming who God wants us to be and doing what He wants us to do.
- People without God often sense how empty their lives are, while those who are surrendered to God realize how full their lives are, even if they are experiencing very trying circumstances.
- People who are surrendered to God know that our lives here on earth are only temporary, and look forward to our eternal home in heaven. For example, shortly before Christoph Probst, a 23-year-old Catholic father of three, was executed by the Nazis in 1943, he wrote: I never knew that dying is so easy! I die without any feeling of hatred. Never forget that life is nothing but a growing in love and a preparation for eternity.
HOW TO USE THIS WEBSITE
Eighteen Lessons on Surrender provide simple prayers for establishing, strengthening and protecting your connection with God through total surrender to Him.
These lessons are presented in three sections:
- The Basics teach us how to establish a connection with God.
- The Simple Path of Mother Teresa shows us how silence, prayer, faith, love, and service strengthen our connection with God over time, and eventually lead us to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
- Staying Strong in the Lord helps us to protect our connection with God against the influence of the world, the flesh, and all those fighting against God and His followers.
The course Goal and Objectives are available here.
You can download a list of the lessons and prayers to keep track of your progress.
A La Carte
You can also look through the menus and select whatever topic or prayer interests you.
A short overview of suggested morning and daily prayers is located here.
After the Lesson
- Most lessons provide a prayer to help you implement what you have learned. The whole idea is to establish a relationship with God, so even if you are not sure you totally believe everything the prayer says, just start praying, and trust the Holy Spirit to carry you along the path to total surrender to God.
- If a prayer doesn’t resonate with you, ask God to help you find or write another prayer that you are more comfortable with.
- Each lesson also has a suggested Scripture Memory Verse that is related to that lesson. Repeat the verse until it is safely hidden in your heart, so it will be available whenever you need it.
Other Sections:
Going Deeper provides information on additional topics such as:
- What is it like to live a life fully surrendered to God?
- The benefits and responsibilities of Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, and Reconciliation.
Prayer - All the prayers included in the Lessons on Surrender are also available under the Prayer tab for easy access, along with additional prayers of surrender that have helped many saints and other Christians on their journey of total surrender to God.
Downloadable Resources
All materials are designed to be easily used in personal study, leading a class or discussion group, or helping a friend grow in their faith. Feel free to copy or download anything that will help you in your walk with the Lord, but please show this website as the source so others can find it if desired.
Available Platforms
The website adjusts to most platforms, so you can look up a lesson, prayer or other information on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
Support
God has provided everything I need, so there will be no cost, no ads, and no attempt to monetize this website. This material has helped me give myself fully to God, seeking only His will for His kingdom and His glory, and I pray that through God's grace it may do the same for you! The one thing I would really appreciate is if you would use the Contact page to provide feedback about what you like, what impact the website had on you, or how it could be improved.
You are not alone! From new believers to seminary graduates to people with years of experience in Christian service, “How do I know God’s will for me?” is one of the most common questions asked by Christians. This website provides practical tools from the Holy Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) that help us establish and strengthen a personal connection with God, making it easier for us to hear and respond to the “still, small voice of God", and leading us to experience the joyful fire of God's merciful love and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
Becoming a Feather on God’s Breath
St. Hildegard of Bingen once described herself as "a feather on the breath of God." This should be our goal as Christians: to be so in tune with God—Paul says actually "having the mind of Christ"—and so totally surrendered to God with our only goal being to do His will, that God only needs to give a little nudge to get us moving in the desired direction.
Why Is This Important Now?
It is always important to give ourselves totally to God so we can hear His voice and be in His will—doing only what He wants us to do, when and how He wants us to do it. However, it is especially important in times of turmoil like we are experiencing since 2020, because we need to ensure we don’t take action on our own without God's guidance and support, but also don’t hold back when He wants us to step out in faith.
Why Surrender?
Because God wants us to love Him, He has given us free will. It is up to us whether we choose to love God, hate God, or just try to ignore Him. To love God means to trust Him to the point that we put ourselves completely in His hands, seeking only His will for His Kingdom and His Glory.
Why Is That So Difficult?
Even if we want to surrender to God, our innate pride gets in the way. God wants us to be like His Son, but just as Adam and Eve thought they could do better on their own by eating the forbidden fruit, we also think we can do better on our own, plus we may be afraid of what God might ask of us.
The Saints Show Us the Way
The one common factor of all the saints is that they were totally surrendered to God, seeking only His will for His kingdom and His glory. Each saint encouraged God to do whatever it took to conform them to Christ. They cooperated with God as He emptied and cleansed them of their selfish desires so He could fill them with the joyful fire of His merciful love. This allowed them to love God, their neighbors, and even their enemies with the self-sacrificial love that Jesus demonstrated to us on the cross.
Saints Persevered in Faith
The joyful fire of God’s merciful love strengthened the saints to persevere in their faith in spite of mistreatment, persecution, and even martyrdom— joyfully accepting whatever God allowed them to experience as they sought to accomplish any task, however large or small, that God set before them. Whenever they were tempted to become discouraged, they would say with the psalmist: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him!
Learning From the Saints
This website provides some of the most powerful prayers of surrender from the saints and other Christians. Praying these prayers will put you in touch with the Holy Spirit living within you, so the Holy Spirit can lead you further along the path God has for you.
The Wonderful Results of Total Surrender
- Total surrender to God allows Him to remove our heart of stone, so He can give us a new heart and put a new spirit in us, filling us with the joyful fire of His merciful love so we can hear His voice and remain in His will.
- This results in the most joyful and fulfilled life possible as we are becoming who God wants us to be and doing what He wants us to do.
- People without God often sense how empty their lives are, while those who are surrendered to God realize how full their lives are, even if they are experiencing very trying circumstances.
- People who are surrendered to God know that our lives here on earth are only temporary, and look forward to our eternal home in heaven. For example, shortly before Christoph Probst, a 23-year-old Catholic father of three, was executed by the Nazis in 1943, he wrote: I never knew that dying is so easy! I die without any feeling of hatred. Never forget that life is nothing but a growing in love and a preparation for eternity.
HOW TO USE THIS WEBSITE
Eighteen Lessons on Surrender provide simple prayers for establishing, strengthening and protecting your connection with God through total surrender to Him.
These lessons are presented in three sections:
- The Basics teach us how to establish a connection with God.
- The Simple Path of Mother Teresa shows us how silence, prayer, faith, love, and service strengthen our connection with God over time, and eventually lead us to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
- Staying Strong in the Lord helps us to protect our connection with God against the influence of the world, the flesh, and all those fighting against God and His followers.
The course Goal and Objectives are available here.
You can download a list of the lessons and prayers to keep track of your progress.
A La Carte
You can also look through the menus and select whatever topic or prayer interests you.
A short overview of suggested morning and daily prayers is located here.
After the Lesson
- Most lessons provide a prayer to help you implement what you have learned. The whole idea is to establish a relationship with God, so even if you are not sure you totally believe everything the prayer says, just start praying, and trust the Holy Spirit to carry you along the path to total surrender to God.
- If a prayer doesn’t resonate with you, ask God to help you find or write another prayer that you are more comfortable with.
- Each lesson also has a suggested Scripture Memory Verse that is related to that lesson. Repeat the verse until it is safely hidden in your heart, so it will be available whenever you need it.
Other Sections:
Going Deeper provides information on additional topics such as:
- What is it like to live a life fully surrendered to God?
- The benefits and responsibilities of Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, and Reconciliation.
Prayer - All the prayers included in the Lessons on Surrender are also available under the Prayer tab for easy access, along with additional prayers of surrender that have helped many saints and other Christians on their journey of total surrender to God.
Downloadable Resources
All materials are designed to be easily used in personal study, leading a class or discussion group, or helping a friend grow in their faith. Feel free to copy or download anything that will help you in your walk with the Lord, but please show this website as the source so others can find it if desired.
Available Platforms
The website adjusts to most platforms, so you can look up a lesson, prayer or other information on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
Support
God has provided everything I need, so there will be no cost, no ads, and no attempt to monetize this website. This material has helped me give myself fully to God, seeking only His will for His kingdom and His glory, and I pray that through God's grace it may do the same for you! The one thing I would really appreciate is if you would use the Contact page to provide feedback about what you like, what impact the website had on you, or how it could be improved.