How to Surrender to God: 5 Practical Ways to Live It Out Every Day

Surrender is not just a word we throw around in Christian circles. It's a posture. A way of life. And I’ve been getting this question a lot lately: “What does it mean to surrender to God?”

Today, I want to walk you through five practical, biblical ways to live a surrendered life—because it’s not always easy, but it's possible. The Greek word for surrender means to yield, to submit, or to voluntarily give over control. This isn’t a forced surrender—it’s relational. We surrender not from defeat, but from trust. God is a good Father, and He can be trusted with everything.

1. Deny Yourself (Matthew 16:24)

Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” That is where surrender starts—denying our flesh, our desires, and our plans when they go against what God is asking.

This isn’t just about the big decisions—it’s the daily ones. Surrender looks like starting your morning by saying, “Lord, here are my plans, but I submit them to you. What do you want to do today?” It’s loving the difficult coworker instead of snapping back. It’s letting go of comforts God has asked you to release. It’s about choosing to follow Jesus' way, not just attaching His name to our own.

2. Walk in Step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25)

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Surrender means inviting the Holy Spirit into every decision, even the small ones.

That means being prayerful about what we post online. That means being sensitive to the Spirit’s nudge when someone comes to mind and He prompts us to encourage them or pray. It’s learning not to ignore those moments. Surrender also means laying down our pride and comforts to follow through when He convicts us.

Walking in the Spirit is not always about giving something up—it’s also about doing something when He prompts you to move.

Surrender to hard things

3. Present Your Body as a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12:1)

Paul said, “I urge you... to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

This one hit home. It’s what we eat, what we wear, what we watch, what we say, what we listen to. It’s not about perfection. It’s about submission. Are we honoring God with our bodies?

We may avoid the obvious sins, but what about gluttony? Are we surrendering our food choices, our self-control, our cravings? Are we dressing modestly, speaking with grace, and guarding our eyes and ears?

This is where I’ve wrestled deeply—and continue to wrestle. But God calls us to steward our temples well. This isn’t legalism; it’s worship.

4. Obey God’s Word, Not Just Hear It (James 1:22)

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

Many of us know Scripture, but the question is—are we living it? It’s not enough to journal, post, or quote it. Surrender means obedience.

That means forgiving even when it’s hard (Ephesians 4:32), refusing to gossip (Proverbs 20:19), being generous with our time, our money, and our gifts (James 1:27). It means walking out what we claim to believe. If we believe Jesus is Lord, our lives should reflect His Lordship.

5. Trust God with the Outcome (Proverbs 3:5–6)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

This is often the most challenging part of surrender—letting go of the result. Trusting that the door doesn’t open. Trusting when the answer is no. Trusting when the wait is long.

I know this firsthand. There are things my husband and I have prayed for and believed for that God hasn’t answered the way we expected. And yet, He’s shown us again and again—His delays are not His denials. His no is often for our protection. Surrender means we stop forcing it and start trusting.

Conclusion: Where Haven’t You Surrendered?

Ask the Holy Spirit: What am I still clinging to? Where have I decided to do things my way? What am I refusing to lay down?

It might be food, clothes, social media, your job, a relationship, your future, your control, or your comfort. Whatever it is, if it’s in the way of intimacy with God or obedience to Him, it needs to go.

Surrender is not about being perfect. It’s about handing our will to a Father who can be trusted. He’s not asking us to walk blindly—He’s asking us to walk closely.

Step by step. Day by day. In the Word. In His Spirit. And in complete trust.

Full YouTube Teaching Here