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“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Luke 22:42 ESV

At its core, worship is surrender. It’s saying to God, “Not my will, but Yours.” And that’s not always easy.

In the garden of Gethsemane, on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus modeled the most honest and costly form of worship — laying down His will in obedience to the Father. He didn’t hide His feelings. He prayed honestly: “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from me.” Yet, even in His anguish, He surrendered.

That’s worship.

Sometimes, we think worship is only about joy, celebration, or passion. But real worship often happens in the quiet moments of letting go — of releasing our plans, our desires, our control. It’s the whispered prayer of, “Lord, I don’t understand, but I trust You.”

Surrender doesn’t mean we don’t feel fear or doubt. It means we choose to place those feelings into God’s hands instead of clinging to them ourselves. It means trusting that His ways are higher, His timing is better, and His plan is good — even when it’s hard to see.

Maybe today you’re holding tightly to something — a dream, a plan, or even a struggle. Worship might look like opening your hands and saying, “God, this belongs to You.”

Surrender is never easy. But it’s in that place of surrender that worship becomes most real. And just like in the garden, when we bow our will before the Father, we discover that He meets us there with strength, peace, and grace.