There is an old saying among the spiritual: “Work as if everything depends on you and pray as if everything depends on God.” To live this way helps us to put the virtue of surrender into action.      

Planning is an important part of human life. We cannot simply wander through life without giving any thought to what the future holds. Young people must choose schools and careers. Couples must consider where to live and when to have children. Older people may focus on how to deal with retirement and their later life. Planning these things guides us in figuring out the steps we must take to achieve our goals.    

As humans attempting to be faithful to God, we know that our plans are often interrupted or may even fall apart due to circumstances beyond our control. This brings the second part of the saying into focus, and why it is important for us to have an ongoing dialogue with God. A life of prayer provides the solution to the twists and turns that come our way. If we are speaking with and listening to God on a regular basis, it will be much easier to hear His voice directing us. When we try to force our own will on Him, we cannot hear Him.    

Persistence in prayer is important as well. The answers may not come immediately – we must remember that God doesn’t work on our timeline. The plan that He has for us may be revealed slowly. We must remember that His plan will always, in the end, make sense, even if we are unable to see it now. Through prayer, we can come to trust in His plan and surrender to carrying out that plan. It may be difficult to do, and it is impossible to do on our own, but when we surrender our will, we find that the help we need to face life’s challenges is always there. This pattern is clear when we look at the lives of the saints and of holy people we personally know.    

Even someone who is not used to having a personal relationship with God or with Jesus – someone without a strong prayer life – can begin. There is no better time to form or strengthen a relationship with our Lord than the present. Speak to God as your Father. Ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern what He wants, and for the courage and perseverance to do it. When you hear His voice directing you, trust that you can follow what He is asking.   

This is the virtue of surrender. We may fail sometimes, but the more we practice, the easier it becomes. Even the saints had to work at it.