Surrendering our will doesn’t always come easy to man. We struggle with just saying “I don’t know” and letting someone else guide and direct us. But sometimes, that is exactly what we need to do.
Acknowledging and accepting that it is God’s will which matters most, is not something that humans fully comprehend. After all, aren’t we supposed to try for ourselves first? Aren’t we meant to be strong and confident knowing that God is in control? The answer is not quiet straight forward.
Yes, God does give us a spirit of strength and confidence and we should always trust in Him, because He does love and care for us. And yes, our will can at times be in direct conflict with the will of God and when it is, it is we who must surrender — our will is not supreme, but God’s is. So in essence, we should be calm, strong and confident, but at the same time, we need to be meek and like little children listening to their parent.
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
Our earthly, physical life can be challenging and everyone experiences the stress and aggravation that is daily life on earth. Its normal to feel anxious, afraid and unsure and in response, it is perfectly normal and wonderful, to pray to God for guidance and protection. But, because life on earth can fill us with fear and trepidation so often, being unsure of what, how and when to pray, is also perfectly normal — most of us are sometimes so stressed, we’re incapable of formulating the right words to express it.
That’s Okay
God always knows what we need, but prayer is vital and we need it to sustain us, which is why its okay to just say “I don’t know….”
The “I don’t know” prayer is when you just go to a quiet place and you reach out in heart-felt sincerity and you say to Our Father:
“I need you more than ever Holy Father. I’m scared and feel lost. I don’t know what is happening, I don’t know how to feel and I don’t know where to go from here. Please dear God, help me.”
And leave it there…God hears you. He hears us all. He cares and He understands. Pray the “I don’t know” prayer with your own words if you prefer, because the important thing is that it comes from the heart. One can also say the “I don’t know” prayer using “we” and “us” to include a whole family.
Prayer should be sincere and we should close our eyes and imagine ourselves propelled up to Heaven, where we kneel before God and just let it pour out of us. It doesn’t matter how we picture God or even what the room we’re in up in Heaven looks like — what matters is going before our Almighty Lord and letting Him know that we are in deep need of His help. What matters, is surrendering our will to His and trusting that He knows better and will never, ever abandon or hurt us.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” – Matthew 16:24
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” – Colossians 3:23-24
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
