Surrenderance Series: Part I — When Surrender Becomes Worship

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1, KJV). 

I’ve been asked many times, “How do you surrender to God?” And I understand that question deeply, because I’ve asked it myself. When people ask, I often sense that what they really want is a clear list of steps - a way to make sure they’re “doing it right.” That desire comes from a sincere place, but I’ve also learned that true surrender doesn’t usually happen through checklists. It happens when the heart reaches a place of honest humility before God.

Sometimes, when I hear that question, the Holy Spirit lets me sense whether a person is truly ready to let go, or if they’re still trying to hold on to some control. That’s not judgment - it’s discernment. And it’s something the Holy Spirit gently teaches us as we grow in Him.

You might wonder, “How can anyone really know what’s in another person’s heart?” The truth is, we can’t - not on our own. But the Holy Spirit can. He is God Himself, dwelling within believers as His temple. John 2:24–25 tells us that Jesus “knew all men… for He knew what was in man.” The same Spirit that revealed things to Jesus helps us discern truth, not so we can condemn, but so we can minister with compassion and understanding.

Now, I’m not claiming to be Jesus - He was sinless, and I’m far from that. But I have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I trust what He reveals. The Spirit will uncover motives and guide us beyond surface appearances, so we can love people rightly and point them toward freedom rather than performance.

Why Our Motives Matter

When someone asks, “How do I surrender?” with a heart that’s really searching for a formula - something to guarantee heaven - it’s often because they’re afraid of doing something wrong. That fear is human, but it’s not the foundation God wants for our relationship with Him.

God doesn’t want us to come to Him out of fear of punishment; He wants us to come because we’ve recognized His goodness and our desperate need for His grace.

1 John 4:18 (NIV) reminds us: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.”

Real surrender starts when we admit who we are without Him - sinful, prideful, jealous, stubborn - and yet realize that even in all that, He still loves us. We come not just because we’re scared of hell, but because we see how much we need Him to save us from ourselves - from our thoughts, reactions, and habits that pull us away from His will.

What True Surrender Looks Like

When I surrender, I’m reminded that everything I think I am - my beauty, my intelligence, my strength - is nothing compared to who He is.

So I lift my hands and say: “Ok, Father! I give up. I’m done trying to fix myself. I lay down my way of thinking, my need to be right, my pride, my habits, my fears. Arrest my spirit, Lord! Empty me of everything that’s not like You. Replace my thoughts with Yours, my words with Yours, my ways with Yours.”

This is what Paul meant in Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

To be alive in Christ means to die to the flesh - to stop striving in our own power and rest in His. Surrenderance isn’t a sign of weakness - it’s an act of worship. It’s the point where we stop fighting and finally let God have His way.