Father, May I? – Relentless – May 24th

Father, May I Surrender?
May 24, 2021

Relentless

Matthew 6:9-13, ‘”Our Father in heaven, reveal Who You are. Set the world right; do what’s best—as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with You and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything You want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.”’ (MSG)

Our church has been sharing a sermon series called, ‘Praying with Jesus’, which concluded today, and has been a dissection of the Lord’s Prayer for many weeks. I have learned so much during the series. I also am quite grateful as it seems I am no different than I reckon many others who have taken the infamous prayer for granted.

So I wanted to share with you what the Message Bible records as the Lord’s Prayer. My pastor reminded me today a declaration that I easily sidestep as I realize consistently I like to be in control. Brady Boyd said today that he will go so far as to say that perhaps many of us don’t pray regularly because we won’t surrender. When we pray, we are in agreement with God, and thus, we are in agreement with His control. Could it be that my prayer time gets sliced on the occasions when I must agree with God, and yet I don’t? Do I only take to Him in prayer what I pick and choose to share, that I agree He might be able to help with, but the areas in my life I wish to keep in my own back pocket, I keep silently to myself?

So in my wreckage today I found the cry of my heart is that I would be diminished, that the I in me would shrink so that the wholeness of God could be explosively huge, overwhelming and overcoming; so that the awesomeness of my God could shine forth and be as dazzling as His intention was when He dreamt this world and us into existence. I choose to be reminded today that the God of the Universe, the God Almighty, the Lord God, had this brilliant plan He effectuated before the beginning of time that He chose to write me into History. I am choosing to be rocked again that throughout time He has continuously chosen me in the midst of all my mistakes to stand up for Him, that for the duration of all time, His heart has been that we would yearn for Him the way He yearns for us. He is not surprised at all that the struggle for us is to be in control of our own destinies, but knowing that, God Almighty doesn’t choose to give up on us; rather, He chose to send His only Son to die on our behalf to redeem mankind to Himself again once and for all, for all eternity.

I think I am all that too much of the time; that I am perfectly capable to speak myself into any existence no matter what the cost, and talk myself out of any disaster my choices created for myself and others. So today, God, this day, o Lord, for this day, may I erase the grandeur I see in my mind about me, and may I instead accentuate the majesty, the excellence, the innovation, the sheer splendor, the genius of You, Almighty God, and relentlessly pursue the path You lead me on. I love you, Father God, with all that I am. And, YOU, and only YOU, are in charge! And today I choose to agree with that amazing truth!

I want to know the Father’s opinion about everything!
Won’t you JOURNEY with me this month as we ask our Father, ‘MAY I?’