Surrender

When You’re Afraid to Pray the Bold Prayer

It takes courage to name both desire and fear in the same breath. You’re not alone in that tension. Scripture is full of people who were called by God and trembled at what it might cost them—think of Moses (Exodus 3–4), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:6–8), and even Jesus in Gethsemane (Luke 22:42).

To ask God to “empty you of yourself” is a bold and beautiful prayer—but it’s not a prayer for punishment, it’s a prayer for deeper life. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:23–24). What feels like loss is actually the path to gaining what matters most—Him.

God isn’t out to erase you; He’s out to redeem you. When we surrender our will, our control, our pride, He fills that empty space with more of Himself—His peace, His power, His joy (Galatians 2:20; John 15:11).

And yes, it’s okay to be afraid. But fear doesn’t disqualify you from faith—it just gives you the chance to practice it. Even Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” He felt the weight of surrender, but He trusted the heart of the Father.

So if your heart is being tugged, you can start small. Pray honestly: “God, I want to be emptied of myself, but I’m afraid. Meet me in this fear. Help me want You more than I want safety.”

He’s a good Father. He’s not looking to destroy your life—but to give you real life in Him (John 10:10).

Birthing Bigger

Disruption

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Babies come out crying because they’re upset! They’ve only known the comfort of the womb. Leaving what’s familiar is hard—it’s usually not something we want, at least at first. And birth? It’s messy. Painful. Even when it’s beautiful, it’s not pretty.

But this is how growth works. We get pushed out of what’s comfortable and placed somewhere new. God won’t bless you here with what He’s planned for you there. If He gave you your there-blessing while you were still here, you’d never leave.

So sometimes, when it feels like your prayers aren’t being answered, it might be because the blessing doesn’t fit where you currently are. It’s not that God is being mean—He’s being a loving Father. You can’t learn to walk if you’re always being carried. You have to take steps to grow.

It takes effort to move from where you are to where you’re meant to be. God isn’t keeping your blessing from you—He’s just placed it there, right in the middle of where He’s leading you.

But the space between here and there is uncomfortable. It’s a place of transition. Just like a baby moves from the womb to the birth canal, it’s tight, dark, and painful. But you can’t stay in the incubator forever.

Embrace the shift. The best is on the other side of birth.

Adapted from “Birthing Bigger” in 100 Days of Believing Bigger by Marshawn Evans Daniels (DaySpring, 2020).