Full Surrender

We stop pretending partial surrender will finally bring peace, and we name the hidden source of so much chaos: our need to stay in control. We share how full surrender becomes a daily practice that builds trust, deepens intimacy with the Holy Spirit, and brings real alignment with God. 

• why giving God “a part” still keeps us in bondage 
• a personal testimony of spiritual awakening and choosing full surrender to Christ 
• the daily surrender prayer that reshapes decisions, desires, and outcomes 
• Romans 12 and the problem of crawling off the altar 
• Luke 9 and why surrender is daily, not seasonal 
• Galatians 2:20 and the birth of your true identity in Christ 
• trust as the foundation for surrender through Proverbs 3 and John 14 
• alignment with God as the place where peace and power flow 

Beloved, if this episode touched your spirit today, I want to ask you to do three things:

First: don't just close this episode and move on. Take a moment today. Find a quiet space and consciously lay down whatever that has been weighing on you at his feet. Make today the day that you say, Lord, take it all and then leave it there. 

Second: share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. There is somebody in your life right now exhausted from trying to control their own story. Be the one who reminds them there's another way. 

And third: if you haven't already, subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you're listening. Every review helps this podcast reach more people who need to encounter the heart of the Father. 

You can also follow me on YouTube @AwarenessUnlockedOfficial and visit www.awarenessunlocked.com for the full blogs, transcripts, and resources from every episode. 

I love you. God loves you more!

Transcript

Partial Surrender Still Feels Like Bondage

Speaker 0:00

There comes a moment in your walk with God where you realize that partial will never be enough. You can give him your Sundays and still be in bondage Monday through Saturday. You can give him your tie and still be holding tightly to your plans. You can give him your worship and still be running your own life behind the scenes. And God, in his patience, in his mercy, will keep meeting you where you are. But beloved, he's not after a piece of you. He's after all of you. Because here's the truth, nobody wants to say out loud. Most of the chaos in our lives isn't from the enemy. Most of it is from us insisting on holding the steering wheel of our own lives that we were never designed to drive. We make our own decisions, we follow our own thoughts, we trust on our own ways. And then we wonder why peace keeps slipping through our fingers. I lived that life and I want to tell the day when I finally let go. Today, I'm going to share with you the moment I made the most important decision of my entire life — The decision to fully surrender to Christ. Not partially, not when it was convenient, not just on the good days. All of me, to all of Him. And I'm telling you, beloved — what God did on the other side of that surrender is the very reason I am sitting here today, doing what I'm doing. Free in a way I never knew freedom could feel. So if there's anything in your spirit right now that's been whispering, "there has to be more", stay with me. Because the "MORE" you're looking for is on the other side of surrender.

Season Focus And Why Surrender Matters

Speaker 2:18

Welcome to Awareness Unlocked. I'm Stacy -Ann Carter. This is a space dedicated to awakening souls through spiritual awareness, inspiring transformation, and guiding us to discover our true identity in Christ. Here we explore real stories, biblical truths, and spiritual reflections that remind us of one powerful truth. God is love. My prayer is that every episode draws you closer to God, fills you with hope, and awakens you to the life He created you to live. Welcome back, family, to Awareness Unlocked. I am so grateful, so honored, that you've chosen to spend this time with me today. And whether this is your first time here or you've been walking this journey with me from the very beginning, please hear me when I say this. You are not here by accident. The Holy Spirit drew you to this very moment, and I believe with everything in me that He has something He wants to deposit in your spirit today. We are in season two of Awareness Unlocked, and the theme for the entire season is "How To Build A Real Relationship With God". Not religious. Not surface. Not seasonal. Real. The kind of relationship where He is the very center of your life, not just the chapter in it, but the author of it. In episode one, we talked about acknowledgement, the first step in this beautiful journey. In episode two, we walk through worship and praise and how those sacred acts become the pathway into his presence. And today, in episode three, we are going even deeper. We are talking about full surrender, what it really means, what it costs, and what it unlocks. Because beloved, you cannot build a real relationship with God while still trying to be Lord of your own life. Surrender is not weakness. Surrender is the doorway to everything God has for you. I'm going to share my own surrender story with you today — The moment I stopped trying to run my own life and finally said, Lord, take it all. So get comfortable, open your heart, and let's step into his presence together.

My Turning Point Toward Full Surrender

Speaker 5:18

This is how I came to fully surrender to God. If you have been following this podcast since day one of season one, you'll know that I went through a supernatural experience in the spiritual realm. And what happened after God delivered me from them, was the awareness of a world I came to know exist. A world my natural eyes could not see. A world of light and darkness. It was then that I encountered truth. Truth I had no knowledge of. And after that spiritual encounter, I realized that the question my heart had been secretly asking prior, which was, How real is God? was now answered. Not in the way I expected. But I knew deep in my spirit that my life would never be the same again. I began to eagerly want more and more of the one who had saved me, not only from my sins, but from death. The one who had given me truth. The one who gave me a second chance in this life. I knew going back was not an option. I knew I didn't want to do things my way anymore. I knew I didn't want to make my own decisions. I needed guidance. I needed him. And not just partially, all of him. That's when I consciously made a decision to be fully surrendered to Christ. And even though I didn't know what that would look like, I had this peace I could not explain. I remember thinking - after what I have witnessed, after what I have come to know, after finally being spiritually awakened, how can I not be fully surrendered to truth, the life, and the way? So I started. I started my daily pursuit for his presence, his voice, his guidance, his teachings, his way. I wanted it all. But I had this quiet knowing that I had to take the necessary steps to get there. And what I came to learn in that season is that everything is based on alignment. Alignment with him. Now this is how my surrender unfolded.

A Daily Prayer That Reorders Life

Speaker 8:00

I started to give him each day, one day at a time. Every morning I woke up, I prayed this simple yet powerful prayer. "Lord, I surrender my day, my schedule, my time, my actions, my decisions. You are Lord over my day. Lord over my life". And then eventually I added to that prayer. "Lord, I surrender my desires for yours. I surrender my will for yours. I live for you". And I started to realize that prior to praying that simple daily prayer, I would worry about outcomes of circumstances I was facing in that season. But then the Holy Spirit started to guide my day, and he led me to Scripture Matthew 6, verse 34, which says, "Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own". He told me to focus on that and keep my eyes on Jesus. So I did. I started to live each day as if it was the only day. And then each surrendered day became lighter. No more stress, no anxiety, just peace. And in the difficult moments, I still worshiped and praised him all the same as if it was good. And what became natural for me was this: every time a desire or decision came to my heart or mind for any area of my life, I would give it to him and ask, Lord, is this your desire for me? Or is this my own desire? If it is my own desire, please take it away. Because if it's not from you, I don't want it. Eventually, I was able to identify desires that came to my heart or mind that even before asking him, I already knew was from him. Because I knew my mindset and the way I used to think had evolved, all by the works of the Holy Spirit. Beloved, I'm not saying it was easy. I'm not saying it was fast, but it was worth it. And that was the season when I learned that we are not meant to do anything in our own strength. It had to be in His. Releasing control over all areas of my life allowed me to further build my intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, which then led me to trust even deeper. Those actions led me into alignment with God because I no longer was operating under my own ways, thoughts, or actions. Think about building any deep relationship, whether a friendship or a love relationship. Both people have to take the necessary steps to get to know each other to see if they're happily aligned. The only difference in building my relationship with God was that he already knew me inside and out because he is my creator. But the reason I said it wasn't fast is simply because he lovingly took his time to reveal to me who I was in him, my true identity in Christ, which brought me into alignment with him. And that started after me fully surrendering to his ways, not before. And if you don't know yet who you are in Christ, please go back and listen to episode three of season one. It will change how you see yourself forever. So when I started my journey, I started by acknowledging him in everything that I do and by worshiping him and praising him through the good and the bad times. But my full surrender led me to something deeper. It led me to let him be Lord over everything concerning me, even when it was uncomfortable. And that, beloved, is when my faith began to grow. Because Isaiah 55, verses 8 and 9 says this, "for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts". I understood, in that moment, that all my adult life, I had been operating under my own thoughts, my own ways — Not knowing that God's thoughts and God's way, as shown in that very scripture, was always meant for me to let him lead. But I wasn't in the Bible, so I didn't know his truth. And that, beloved, is exactly why it's so important to be in the Word. I knew I could not build a real relationship with God based on partial surrender. It needed to be fully and intentional at all times. And God wasn't asking for my entire 24 hours each day. He knew I had responsibilities. Responsibilities he gave me as everything in life requires stewardship. But what he was asking of me was to be the number one priority in my daily life and in every decision I made. And I can honestly tell you, the moment I decided to fully surrender to God's way, that's when the Holy Spirit was able to begin performing a good work in me. That's when my refinement season started. And it was the best conscious decision I could have ever made. I truly wish that for everyone, wholeheartedly.

Living Sacrifice And Negotiated Surrender

Speaker 14:38

Now, beloved, let's go deeper. Because I want to make sure that when you walk away from this episode, you don't just have inspiration - you have revelation, you have understanding of what full surrender actually means, what it looks like, and how to walk it out. So first, let's look at what full surrender actually is. Full surrender is not a one-time prayer. It's not an altar call you respond to once, and then forget about it. It's not a hashtag, a t-shirt slogan, or a worship lyric. Full surrender is a daily, conscious laying down of your will, your way, and your wisdom at the feet of Jesus. Romans 12, verses 1 and 2 says it like this. "I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect". Did you catch that, beloved? "A living sacrifice". The challenge with being a living sacrifice is that we keep crawling off the altar. We surrender Sunday and take it back on Monday. We give him our finances and then panic about the bills. We give him our relationships and then try to manipulate the outcomes. We give him our future and then lose sleep trying to control it. Beloved, that's not full surrender. That's negotiated surrender. And God isn't a negotiator, He is a king. So let me ask you this. What is one area of your life right now that you keep taking back from God's altar? Sit with that. Now let's look at the cross before the crown.

The Cross Before The Crown

Speaker 17:01

Jesus didn't sugarcoat this, He told us exactly what surrender would look like. Luke 9 verse 23 reads, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". Three things in that verse, beloved. One - deny yourself. Two - take up your cross daily. And three - follow him. That order matters. You cannot follow him while still leading your life. You cannot pick up his cross while still carrying your own throne. Denying yourself doesn't mean you stop existing. It means you stop letting "SELF" sit on the throne of your life. And the cross? The cross is daily. It is a daily requirement. Not an option. Not weekly. Not when it's convenient. But daily. Every morning before your feet hit the ground, there is a question waiting for you. Whose "Will" am I going to live for today? Mine or his? The answer to that question determines the trajectory of your entire day. Next, we have crucified with Christ. Now this is where it gets beautiful. Because surrender isn't just about what you give up, it's about what you gain. Galatians 2 verse 20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. Beloved, full surrender is not the death of you. It's the birth of the real you, the you that God designed before the foundations of the earth. The you that has been buried on the years of trauma, performance, fear, and self-protection. I'm saying this because I've already walked that path, that the birth of the real me that God revealed surpasses anything I ever imagined. It's truly beautiful. So when you surrender, Christ rises in you, and the life you begin to live is his life flowing through you. So who would you be if you stopped trying to be who you've always been? That beloved is the person God is waiting to introduce to you. Now get into Trust as the foundation of surrender. You see, the reason most people struggle to surrender is not because they don't love God, it's because they don't fully trust Him. Because our logical minds often resist trust in what we cannot see. And I get it. We've been let down. We've been hurt. We've trusted people who broke us. And that wounding leaks into how we see God.

Trust Builds The Courage To Release

Speaker 20:56

But I'm here to tell you today - God is not like people, God is a spirit, God is love, God is peace. Jesus reminds us of this in John 14, verse 27. "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid". Notice what Jesus says. "I do not give to you as the world gives". You see, the world offers temporary peace. Peace based on circumstances, comfort, money, success, or control. But Jesus offers a deeper peace, a lasting peace, a peace rooted in his presence and his promises. A relationship with God. And that kind of peace becomes possible when we trust Him. Now this brings us to Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6. It says, "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 God's blueprint for surrender. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Not part of your heart. Not only the areas that feel safe, all of it. Then notice what it says next. Do not lean on your own understanding. Because beloved, your understanding is limited. You see today, he sees forever. You see the bill, he sees the breakthrough. You see the closed door. He sees the room prepared on the other side of it. The truth is, you cannot fully surrender to a God you don't fully trust. And you cannot fully trust a God you don't truly know. That is why relationship and surrender are inseparable. The more time you spend with him, the more you discover his character. The more you discover his character, the more you trust him. And the more you trust him, the easier it becomes to let go of what you've been trying to control. Because surrender is no longer frightening when you know the one you're surrendering to. If you can trust a pilot on a plane that you have never seen or met, surely you can trust the God who created you. Another area for us to look at is this: The Paradox.

Lose Your Life And Find Alignment

Speaker 24:07

You find your life when you lose it. Here is the part the world will never understand, beloved. Matthew 16, verse 25 says, "For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it". The world says, Hold on tight, protect yourself, look out for number one, build your kingdom. Jesus says, Let it go. Lay it down, lose it for my sake, and watch what I do with it. Beloved, everything you've been trying to grip is exactly what God has been waiting for you to release. That relationship, that career, that dream, that timeline, that fear, that control, you weren't designed to carry it. You were designed to surrender it. That was the very stripping season that I went through. And I can tell you that because I was already building that intimate relationship with the Lord, even though I had my moments, I had such peace through each things and people that I surrendered. Because what the Lord later revealed to me is that they cannot go where He's taking me. Those things were no longer aligned with me, the new me. And on the other side of that surrender, God will give you back a version of your life that you could never have built on your own. And last but not least, Alignment is everything. I shared in my testimony that everything I came to learn in that season was based on alignment. I want to drive that point home. When two things are aligned, power flows. When two things are misaligned, power leaks. Your life is leaking power in every area where you are misaligned with God. Misaligned in your thoughts, misaligned in your words, misaligned in your relationships, misaligned in your habits, misaligned in your direction. But the moment you bring your life into alignment with Him through full surrender, the power begins to flow, peace begins to flow, provision begins to flow, direction begins to flow, healing begins to flow. Surrender is not loss. Surrender is alignment. So where in your life are you currently misaligned with what God has been speaking to you? That misalignment is exactly where He is inviting you to surrender today.

A Guided Prayer To Lay It Down

Speaker 27:27

Now, beloved, I want you to do something with me right now. I want us to come together before the Father. Let's pray. Father God, Romans 12, verse 1 calls us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to you, which is our spiritual worship. So today, Lord, we come. We come with our hands open. We come with our hearts open. We come with everything we've been holding to tightly, and we lay it down at your feet. We surrender our plans, Lord. We surrender our timelines. We surrender our relationships, our finances, our dreams, our fears, our wounds, our future, and our past. Proverbs 3 says, 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 your path straight. So, Father, today we choose to trust you. Even with what we don't understand, even with what we cannot see, even with what scares us, we choose you. Galatians 2 verse 20 says, It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. So, Holy Spirit, come and have your way. Crucify in us anything that is not of you, anything that has been competing with your throne in our lives, uproot it. Take your rightful place as Lord over every area concerning us. Align us, Father. Align our thoughts with your thoughts. Align our ways with your ways. Align our hearts with your heart. Bring us into the alignment that releases your power, your peace, and your presence in our lives. And Lord, like you did for me, would you begin a refining work in every person listening right now? Would you take the surrender they're laying down today and turn it into the most beautiful chapter of their life? We love you. We trust you. We surrender to you, Lord, in your precious Holy name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Three Next Steps And What Comes Next

Speaker 30:00

Beloved, if this episode touched your spirit today, I want to ask you to do three things. First, don't just close this episode and move on. Take a moment today. Find a quiet space and consciously lay down whatever that has been weighing on you at his feet. Make today the day that you say, Lord, take it all and then leave it there. Second, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. There is somebody in your life right now exhausted from trying to control their own story. Be the one who reminds them there's another way. And third, if you haven't already, subscribe, rate, and leave a review wherever you're listening. Every review helps this podcast reach more people who need to encounter the heart of the Father. You can also follow me on YouTube @AwarenessUnlocked Official and visit www.awarenessunlocked.com for the full blogs, transcripts, and resources from every episode. And before I let you go, I want to tell you what's coming next. Episode 4 of season 2 is titled "Reading God's Word". Because beloved, as I shared in my testimony today, I wasn't in the Bible the way I was supposed to be. So I didn't know his truth. And that one realization changed everything for me. You cannot know the God you've surrendered to if you don't know the Word he gave you. The Bible is not a religious textbook, it is a love letter, a battle manual, a mirror, and the very voice of God on paper. So in episode four, we're going to talk about how to actually read God's word in a way that transforms you, not just informs you, how to hear his voice through the pages, how to make it part of your daily rhythm, and how the word becomes the foundation that everything else in your relationship with God is built upon. So stay tuned. Until then, beloved, keep your hands open, keep your heart surrendered. And remember, everything God has for you is on the other side of what you finally let go of. God bless you. I love you. God loves you more. Thank you for spending this time with me on Awareness Unlocked. As we wrap up today's episode, I want to remind you, if this message touched your heart, please share it with someone who needs this message of hope. Take a moment to leave a comment or review. Your feedback not only encourages me, but also helps others discover Awareness Unlocked and join our growing community. To continue this journey of spiritual awakening and transformation, subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss the next episode. Until next time, stay aware, stay rooted in truth, and remember, God's love is always calling you into something greater. I'm your host, Stacy-Ann Carter.