4 Questions To Surrender Your Year To Jesus

I’m one of those people who has to stop and reflect every once in a while, then create a vision for where I want my life to go in the next year. (Any fellow planners out there?!)  I came up with four EASY questions to ask yourself this year to help you surrender your year to Jesus. Obeying God and walking with Jesus is not primarily about achieving anything, but about being willing to do what God asks you to do.

My friend Tabitha wrote an amazing article on how to focus on being present with God this year that goes so well with this article! Make sure you check that one out, too.

We discussed these in our small group and in my DNA group, and the conversation was so fruitful!  I challenge you to take some time to answer these, then grab some friends and discuss your answers together.

I shared these on social media, but I didn’t share my answers.  So here’s a look at where my head and heart are at these days when it comes to living a life of surrender to Jesus. This is probably one of the most personal articles I’ve written so far, but I’m opening up a bit so that hopefully you’ll follow Jesus more wholeheartedly this year.

1. What Did God Teach Me In 2022?

You can’t know where you’re going if you don’t look at where you’ve been.

There were some challenges for me this last year, but I think the one big thing that God did with them is show me how much I desire the approval of other people.  Can you relate?

I think I’ve always been a “people person” and love to be with people in general.  My whole job as a physical therapist revolves around building relationships with my patients and helping them walk through some of the most difficult experiences of their life… I always thought a job where I sat at a computer all day without working with people would be totally boring (now some days it seems like it may be nice every once in a while!)

God really showed me this idol in my life and how catering to the approval of others had become a barrier between me and Him.  Starting a public ministry like SIE where I’ve had a platform to be more bold about my faith in Jesus has definitely been a good first step to tearing down those people-pleasing tendencies.  

2. What Is One Thing I Want To Focus On In My Relationship With Jesus This Year?

For the last two years, God keeps inviting me into a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him. (Jonny and I are planning on filming a video that will talk about this a bit! Make sure you subscribe to the SIE YouTube Channel so you don’t miss it in the next few weeks!)  He’s asked me to trust Him more than I ever have and to listen for His voice.  He’s reminded me that He is always moving in my life and He is always speaking, even when I’m not listening.  

Intentional times of prayer throughout the day is the thing I’m focusing on this year.  I’ve gotten much better than I used to be at turning to God throughout the day.  Whether it’s to ask for help, spill my fears and frustration to Him, or pray on behalf of other people.  But this year, I’m building some consistent times each day to pray. 

I just want to be closer to God, to constantly hear His voice, and to feel the movement of the Holy Spirit in my life, more than I ever have before.  I know if I don’t slow down, I’ll miss some major opportunities the Lord has laid out for me each day.  The Bible says that He prepares good works for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), and I want to engage in the adventure He has for my life wholeheartedly.  I don’t want to miss it!  I want to be fully present with God this year, every day, throughout the day.  

Read this article to see how I’m building a daily rhythm of prayer this year. 

3. Is God Asking Me To Give Anything Up?

If you look at my answer to question 1, God identified the problem of seeking people’s approval over His last year.  This year, He’s asking me to leave it behind for good. I’m not saying I’m going to totally disregard the people around me. Rather, I want to find the freedom to obey God even when the people around me don’t understand it. 

“No Fear,” was how I summarized my answer to this question.  Not only do I NOT want to worry about what people will think about me, but I also want to say YES to God when He asks me to do something.  I don’t want to push that still small voice away of the Holy Spirit and choose my own way.  I know His way is better, I want to follow His voice and turn the volume down on my own. 

4. Is God Asking Me To “Pick Anything Up?”

I’m picking up a prayer rhythm this year that includes morning, lunchtime, and evening prayer time. (COMING SOON in our next SIE article! Make sure you sign up for our email list so you don’t miss it).  I was inspired by Tyler Staton talking about his prayer life, and seriously want to read his book on prayer.  It’s called, “Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools.”  Doesn’t the title just make you want to read it?

Some of my other favorite books on prayer have been The Circlemaker by Mark Batterson and Dangerous Prayers By Craig Groeschel.  They’re both very easy reads, and Craig’s, “Search Me, Break Me, Send Me” section in his book is something that kind of changed my life and my walk with Jesus.  They’re worth reading!  

What’s Jesus Asking You To Surrender This Year?

What about you? What areas of your life do you need to surrender to Jesus this year?

What can you learn from last year that you can build upon in the next year? Take a few minutes to reflect on your last year and what God did. What did He teach you? How did He move powerfully in your life last year?

What have you been holding tightly to that God has been asking you to give up? Whatever it is, I promise Jesus is better. From my experience, the life He has for you is far better than the life you would make for yourself. Trust Him and see what Jesus can do with someone whose life is marked by surrender to Him.

What has God asked you to do? What have you resisted doing in previous years? It reminds me of Saul’s conversion when Jesus says, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Meaning, Saul had been resisting the pull Jesus had on him for a while, and it was wearing on him. Where in your life can you relate to that? Look at the life of Saul! After he chose to surrender his life to Jesus, he lived an AMAZING life for God!

Let’s Live A Year Of Surrender To Jesus This Year, Friend

As I’m making the final touches on this article, I’m praying God will use it to steer you in the direction He wants your life to go this year. I pray you’ll trust Jesus enough with your life that you’ll let go and let God do some work in your heart this year. I pray you’ll let Him lead you into a far better life than you could ever create on your own. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Thankful for you!