François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, or simply Fenelon in Christian circles today, was a French Archibishop during the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. His insights on the core issues of dying to self and total surrender to God have provided multitudes with great help and encouragement during the process through which The Holy Spirit can take us – if we but let Him.
i include this prayer to encourage a believer in the midst of this crisis. But also to present that these concepts are not born out of modern, fashionable thinking. Rather, they are timeless truths from Scripture that have been applied across Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions throughout the centuries of the Church. The compilation called “The Seeking Heart,” is perhaps the most important reading i’ve ever done outside of Scripture. If you have never read anything by Fenelon, do it. If you don’t have the money, i’ll buy you something (serious, just write me). G_d speaks to us today through this dedicated French servant…
Feast. Drink deep. Surrender.
A Prayer of Surrender
“My God, I want to give myself to You. Give me the courage to do this. My spirit within me sighs after You. Strengthen my will. Take me. If I don’t have the strength to give You everything, then draw me by the sweetness of Your love. Lord, who do I belong to, if not to you? What a horror to belong to myself and to my passions. Help me to find all my happiness in You, for there is no happiness outside of You. Why am I afraid to break out of my chains? Do the things of this world mean more to me than You? Am I afraid to give myself to You? What a mistake! It is not even I who would give myself to You, but You would give Yourself to me. Take my heart.
What joy it is to be with You, to be quiet so that I might hear Your voice! Oh God, You only make me love You. Why should I fear to give You everything and draw close to You? To be left to the world is more frightening than this! Your mercy can overcome any obstacle. I am unworthy of You, but I can become a miracle of Your grace.”
