Lord, here I am
Take me Lord
And do what you will
For it is all for you.
Lord, I give it all up
I put all my trust in you
Your plan is always right
Your will is grounded in truth.
Lord, with Your precious blood
Cover my earthly life
Let my spirit, and not my flesh,
Let it be Your Holy light.
Lord, I surrender my heart.
Lord, I surrender my will.
Lord, I surrender it all.
For Your love has my spirit fulfilled.
Devotional: Seek the Face of God Series: Post 3
What must we bring when we seek the face of God?
When we want to enter into the manifest presence of God, we must bring with us a surrendering heart. When we enter into his manifest presence, God wants to do something within us which means our hearts must be open, and we need to be in a place of total surrender. When we are in total surrender, God, then, has no limits to what he can do. Please don’t miss understand me. God is all powerful and sovereign, so He does not have any limitations. However, the character of God is a gentleman. He will not enter a situation unless He is invited into it. When we invite God into our hearts, miraculous things can happen. God’s light will shine on the areas of your heart that needs to be healed in order for us to follow His divine plan for our lives. This is the greatest blessing we could ever hope for. FREEDOM from hurt, FREEDOM from sin, FREEDOM to feel the joy, peace, and love that He is so wanting to bestow upon us.
What is true surrender?
In Matthew 16: 24-25, Jesus states to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” (NLT) What I believe Jesus is stressing to His disciples is that to follow Jesus it requires a real and true commitment. That word “commitment” really stands out to me. It has the connotation of security, loyalty, devotion, and endurance. When we commit to someone or something, we are agreeing to give it our best shot, our greatest effort because we are investing ourselves within it such as a marriage, a friendship, a job, our children. We commit to things that we hold dearest to our hearts. So therefore, we cannot half heartedly pick up our cross and follow Him; we must do this to the fullest in order for us to truly have what He died on the cross for us to have. He wants us to experience, here on this earth, the freedom of God’s kingdom, and how we experience his kingdom is to surrender our wills and hearts to the Lord. This is Jesus’ commitment to you–his life.
In Isaiah 64: 8, we are shown the importance of surrendering our life to the Lord, “And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and You are the potter. We are all formed by Your hand.” If God is the potter (creator, master of the masterpiece) then why wouldn’t we want Him to mold and make us into what He has called us to be? He certainly can do a better job at making something of me than I can do alone. Also, in this scripture, I feel what the Lord is speaking to me is that allowing Him to mold us is a sign of spiritual maturity. This is when the true spiritual growth can begin. When are saved, we are like babies within the kingdom, but over time, as we grow in Christ, there comes a point where we have to actively recognize and give up our plans and wills to God so that He can have the full power within our life. The more mature we are in Christ, the closer we become to the Father, the more we experience the kingdom of God here are on earth.
In Romans 13:1-5, Paul expresses the importance of submitting to the authority of God by submitting to the authority of the land. When we submit to authority–all authority, this is where our spirit will find freedom. When we are doing what is right in Christ, then we can be at peace within our spirit. Also, when we submit to the authority of God, we are more sensitive to His divine and loving correction in order for us to turn from sin, and then to gain what God wants us to have. It is important for us to know that God does discipline us the same way our earthly parents discipline us. God wants us to live a life that is full of the kingdom, and naturally our flesh does get in the way. When God corrects us, it is always from a place of love, so that we are not separated from Him.
In Ephesians 5:21, Paul writes, “And further submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” I believe what God is speaking to me about this scripture is that surrendering to God also means to submit to one another. When our hearts are in a state of surrender, it is easier for us to obey Jesus’ command to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and to love others as you love yourself.A surrendered heart has eyes focused on the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of God is never about the internal (selfish wants/desires). It is about the external (loving others) because this is what shows the glory of God, and this is what is furthering His kingdom.
What is the takeaway?
In order to truly benefit and experience God’s face (manifest presence), we we must bring a heart that is completely committed to God’s will, authority, and kingdom. When our hearts are completely submitted to the Lord, He can then move in our lives and into the lives of others around us. We must commit to the Lord the same way we commit to our marriages, our relationships with our children, and our friendships with others.
Let me pray for you:
Heavenly Father, Abba Father, Thank you for your word that speaks to our hearts and shapes our lives. Lord, we surrender our hearts and wills at the cross of Jesus. Create in us, God, a new heart, one that longs for your presence and longs to see your kingdom glorified. Lord let us be your vessel to reach those desparately needing Your presence in their lives. Let Your Holy light shine within and through us. But not for our benefit Father, but for the benefit of Your Glory and to honor You. It is all about You Jesus. We love you, and we ask all of this in your mighty name, Amen.
Scriptures to Study:
Songs of Worship:
“Touch the Sky” by Hillsong UNITED
The Crimson Robe 