Me:  Howdy Prodigal, how is your day today?

Prodigal:  Wonderful, I am out here enjoying the wilderness and spending time with nature.

Me:  Looks very peaceful and the perfect setting for a story to encourage you this week.

Prodigal: What is the subject today about?

Me:  We are talking about surrender and this is from author Bill Stafford in his book, Spirit-filled Giving.

 

 Until a person is brought to this truth and starts to release his hold on things, there will always be an area of fear in his life that the devil can use to suppress victorious living.  Every area of our lives must be opened and surrendered unreservedly to the lordship of Christ, or the enemy will attack and overcome us.

Because of incorrect doctrine, traditional preaching, or half-truth, we have wandered in the wilderness of doing the best we can.  If you own ninety-nine acres of ground but another person owns an acre right in the middle of your ninety-nine, he must be given a right of way to his one acre.  This means he can walk all over your territory to get to his.  So it is in the life of the Christian.  That one acre you fail to give becomes a stronghold for Satan, and he will walk all over your surrendered territory to get to his one acre.

You wonder why it is so hard to surrender that one acre right now in your life.  It is because it is in the center.  It is because it is the one area that you have really cherished.  You never knew how much it really meant to your identity, until now.

There are so many fears and questions if you really give it up.  Will everything fall apart if you do give it up?  I don’t know if God wants you to give it up forever.  I just know he wants your whole heart and that means surrender.  Are you willing to surrender this for God?   God may have to help you with the surrender and that is ok.  The goal is that you are willing.

 

Job 11:13

Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer.

 

Jennifer Van Allen,

www.faithincounseling.org

www.theprodigalpig.com