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“We joyfully and willingly submit to Your leadership, Yeshua, today and forever, amen.”
Declared aloud daily by our community after worship, this phrase is simple yet powerful. I find it gives me vision and focus for my day.
As I consider the elements in the prayer, three words especially speak to me. They are “submit,” “joyfully” and “willingly.”
“Submitting” is a strong concept, by definition it means to allow another person or group to have authority or control over you. Another version even says that to submit is to give power over a person or group to someone. Yet this is what Yeshua asks of His followers. In Luke chapter 9, verses 23 and 24, Yeshua said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” He continued, ”For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”
From this I understand that I must give all the strength I have in my life to Yeshua in order to follow Him the way He requires. At times this scares me, because I often think I know the best plan for my life, or even just the day ahead, but I am growing to trust that His ways are far better than I could ever think or imagine.
This leads to the next key word for me, “joyfully.”
I can submit to Yeshua joyfully! His love for me is beyond my comprehension yet somehow I grasp it a little bit, and this little bit fills my heart with joy. 1. John 3:16 says “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” Yeshua loved me knowing all the mistakes I would make and sins I would commit in my lifetime. His choosing to endure the cross and bear my sins to reconcile me to my Father in heaven is so humbling and beautiful. To paraphrase another verse, I love Him because He first loved me (1. John 4,19).
The third word that I often consider in this prayerful declaration is “willingly.”
It’s defined as doing something quickly, immediately and enthusiastically. Yeshua’s love and His example elicits in me a response to submit and follow Him willingly. This word speaks to an attitude like joyfully did. While I may feel that I have little to give at times, I want to give everything to the Lord quickly, immediately and enthusiastically. This is actually the least I can do. While Yeshua walked the earth, He showed us how to have willing obedience to the Lord through the Holy Spirit.
In summary, I have the privilege at this time in my life to walk with a community who chooses to submit to Yeshua every day, in word and deed. The submission involves giving up control and allowing Him to guide daily, weekly, and lifelong decisions. Submitting joyfully and willingly both refer to heart positioning, the choice of attitude while in submission. As I continue to declare this every day, I ask the Lord to help me mean it more and more each time. Yeshua is worthy of it all!
“We joyfully and willingly submit to Your leadership, Yeshua, today and forever, Amen.”
by Rachel Williams
The lights of Cairo beckoned us as we arrived in the night. The smiling faces of dear friends greeted us in welcome. We started our 10-day outreach trip in Cairo but would soon journey to the mountainous region of Sinai.
The days we ministered in Cairo were uniquely defined by the encouraging power of God’s word. Not only did spontaneous words flow from the hearts of the team, but the undying power of prophetic books and verses, recited in just the right moment, washed away discouragement from the hearts of our Egyptian friends. Discouragement can settle like a fine dusting of sand over all that happens to be in the wake of its draft.
We all need the washing of God’s word to clean the sand from our skin, our eyes, our ears so we can feel, see and hear as we were created to. It was an honor to offer that word to our brothers and sisters in Egypt to encourage them onward.
As we journeyed to Sinai, our team was also encouraged onward by a particular voice. A booming voice. The voice that shouted “you’ve had enough rest…now it’s time to MOVE!”. Our team, along with a handful of young Egyptians, climbed into the Siani mountain range with our guide – the booming voice. We experienced the unique form of encouragement in such a powerfully encouraging voice, especially as it was accompanied by an even more encouraging smile.
For two days we journeyed together in the rugged sandy mountains to come away from the busyness of Cairo so we could meet with God in creation. Though our team was pushed physically, emotionally, and spiritually to simply make it, to support one another and to see why God had brought us to Siani, the trip was deeply refreshing. As we took time to follow Gods leading, we discovered the reason He brought us to Sinai: communion.
The source of strength and true encouragement is found in our Lord Yeshua, who brought us together in Him. As we partook of communion we also buried it in the sand of Sinai as a reminder to all of creation that He is our source, He is our hope and encouragement.
by Sarah Hicks