Pardon the Mess

March 04, 2024

BONUS: Marked by Surrender

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.’” —Matthew 16:24–25

 

“I Surrender All” is a classic hymn that gained notoriety when Rev. Billy Graham began using it as the invitation song during his revivals. The words have such a great message for walking with Jesus:

 

All to Jesus I surrender, all to him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust him, in his presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,

All to thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.

 

Surrender is the antithesis of trying to “work” our way into a right relationship with God. A surrendered life allows the Spirit of God to enter into us, shaping us into something greater than we could be on our own. 

 

The first and most significant act of surrender we can pray over our kids’ is their choice to surrender to the lordship of Christ by accepting Jesus as their savior. But, even after our kids have accepted Christ, we can pray that they surrender their words, plans, dreams, finances, and relationships to the Lord. 

Pray for our kids to have the discipline to surrender all they are to the Lord each day, committing to live in a way that’s pleasing and brings him glory. 

Lord, you become more when we become less. Please guide [name] to accept you as their Savior and surrender their lives to your glory. Help them know that surrendering to you is a lifelong process as they trust you with their burdens, fears, dreams, and aspirations.

 

God’s word speaks: Philippians 2:13; James 4:7; John 3:30; Psalm 32:8

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About Pardon the Mess

As parents, we know raising kids is the opposite of neat and tidy. Each day brings wins, losses and valuable lessons. Pardon the Mess is a place where we discuss parenting and faith in a biblical, approachable and relatable way. We may cry and laugh while we learn and grow together in our beautiful mess.

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About Courtney DeFeo

Courtney DeFeo is the NEW host of Pardon the Mess! She is the author of In This House, We Will Giggle and Treasured and creator of ABC Scripture Cards and the kindness movement, Light ‘Em Up Acts. She loves to encourage parents and women through speaking, writing, and podcasting. She also serves on the board of For Girls Like You and Lighthouse Family Retreat. Her deepest desire is to encourage others and give generously in a way that draws people to God.

Her most honorable mention is her husband Ron and their two wildly fun girls (Ella, 16 and Larson, 14). Courtney is passionate about Jesus, coffee, Auburn football, Coca-Cola classic, her dog Mazie, spending time with friends and family, and finding deals at TJ Maxx. Although they have lived in Atlanta and Orlando, they currently reside in the DFW area. Courtney’s family loves to serve at Compass Church, travel together, and consume large amounts of table-side guacamole. Connect with Courtney on Instagram or visit CourtneyDeFeo.com.

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