The Freedom of Surrender - by Mary Demuth (Hardcover)

About the Book

""40 Days of Surrender" is the theme of this devotional, inviting readers to daily loosen their grip and let go of many factors in their lives, entrusting them all to God and his loving care. Incorporating colorful and unique art from Mary created for each devotional, readers are invited to surrender things such as their own timetable, past wounds, bitterness, personal relational failures, agenda, hopes, finances, aging, and other concerns. As readers surrender painful and hard things to God-alongside surrendering good gifts and hopes to God-they become more and more fully devoted to Jesus' love and lordship in their lives"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Find joy and freedom in surrender

Letting go is hard.

To surrender is to let go of what we tightly grip, the good and the bad. It's a relinquishing of control, a recognition that God alone can meet our deepest needs. It's a holy pause that entrusts each hope, each worry, and each pressing concern to the One whose love for us is beyond measure. And in this surrender, we enter into freedom. But, even so, letting go often feels easier said than done.

In The Freedom of Surrender, author Mary DeMuth invites you to journey through forty days of entrusting specific areas of your life to God--your inner struggles, your family, your expectations, your regrets, your ministry, your grief, your relationships, your job, your health, your finances, your future, and more. Every daily devotion includes Scripture, prayer, and Mary's original art that help you cast each care on the One who cares for you.

On this forty-day journey, you'll learn:

• How to trust that God is in control, even in moments of chaos and stress.
• True joy and freedom can happen when we release what we're holding too tightly.
• God's plan is to see you thrive and grow.
• Prayer opens the door to freedom and peace.
• Even in your struggles, you are never alone.

When we entrust our stresses and worries to God, we embrace the reality that's always been true: Our "control" is an illusion. God alone can meet our needs, heal our wounds, and guide our steps. From this place of total reliance on God, we can experience deep joy and the peace that passes understanding.

What are you holding too tightly? Experience freedom as you invite Jesus to help you surrender all.

Review Quotes

"The Freedom of Surrender is confession, devotion, and contemplation all in one. With a focus on letting go and trusting God, this beautifully crafted devotional hits all the marks. You will find yourself pausing, reflecting, and releasing burdens you didn't realize you were holding. I'll be returning to these pages often."

--Peace Amadi, psychology professor and author of Why Do I Feel Like This?

"A word of Jesus stands alongside these daily reflections, and that word is 'self-denial.' It was the word, along with the image of a looming cross, that Jesus gave to his close followers immediately after Peter astounded them all when he named Jesus as 'Messiah.' Self-denial is a beautiful Christian term until it is something we need to deny to ourselves, and forty of such things are named by Mary DeMuth in this book. In The Freedom of Surrender we experience the joys of freely surrendering to God what God wants us to give up, while we also experience the hazards to our propensities to hang on to them. A deeply formative book. A voice for our day."

--Scot McKnight, visiting professor of New Testament at Houston Theological Seminary

"In The Freedom of Surrender, you have the opportunity to walk through the intricacies of your heart, mind, body, and soul to surrender things you didn't even know you were holding onto. Mary DeMuth's vulnerable use of art, Scripture, and relatable story guides you to a place where you can finally let go of the things that are standing in the way of deep intimacy with the Lord. Whether your past or present, your inner life or relationships with others, every corner of your heart will be touched with a chance to relinquish these things into the hands of the Father in very tangible ways, and you will grow closer and closer to the heart of God. As I strolled through each day of surrender, I experienced an opening of tightly gripped hurts, renewal deep in my heart, and true freedom in Christ. Prepare to breathe more fully!"

--Amy Graham, spiritual care pastor at The District Church

"In The Freedom of Surrender, Mary DeMuth reveals the paradox of liberation through letting go. Her vulnerable, raw, and insightful writing reminds the reader that letting go and finding freedom in the love of Christ is a journey we are called to daily. The prayer at the end of the daily devotion reminds us to let go of our need to control and hold onto situations out of our feeble power. She encourages readers to surrender every aspect of their lives, significant or insignificant, and rest in Christ."

--E. L Sherene Joseph, writer and storyteller

"Perhaps, like me, you can be slow to surrender your ways for God's ways. And while we know we need to surrender our lives to the Lord, how does one take that spiritual truth and make it a concrete reality in our lives? Enter this beautiful book by Mary DeMuth that's helpfully divided into sections about surrendering your inner life, your past, your relationships, your daily life, and your worries. In The Freedom to Surrender, Mary's daily readings come together as a megaphone for the message our hearts need: when we surrender every aspect of our lives to God, we also surrender our fears when aspects of our lives don't go as we hoped. If you're looking for a spiritually meaty and personally relevant devotional that can be digested quickly, you've found it. As a bonus, this book will feed your creative loving soul in a way that adds color and connection to your devotional practice."

--Kristen Strong, author of Girl Meets Change, Praying Through Loneliness, and Desperate Woman Seeks Friends

"Reading through this book exposes how we spend so much of our lives chasing control. Mary DeMuth writes like a close friend inviting you on the journey of surrender, while so lovingly sharing her own. She points you to a Jesus who is there in all your hurt, worry, sorrow, and grief, asking you to let go and lay hold of him. Pray these prayers."

--Zach Pummill, senior pastor of Redeemer Rockwall

"When your grip on life begins to slip, The Freedom of Surrender is the hand that steadies you. Mary DeMuth leads us through forty days of deep, honest, and transformative reflections that gently guide us toward letting go and leaning into God's sovereignty."

--Rachel Wojo, author of Desperate Prayers

"With vulnerability and faithfulness, Mary DeMuth reminds readers that biblical surrender is the opposite of weakness or defeat. In each of the forty days of reflection, she encourages us to do the slow, hard but holy work of surrender so that we, too, can walk the path toward authentic freedom."

--Missy Buchanan, writer-speaker and author of Feeling Your Way Through Grief

"Yes and amen! The Freedom of Surrender is a must-read for every believer. Each devotional invites us to experience the joy that comes from surrendering every area, aspect, and moment of our lives to Christ. Mary DeMuth's words not only encourage us but also teach and gently nudge us to lean more deeply into the spiritual discipline of surrender. She artfully presents surrender and trust in Christ as the antidote to life's struggles, pains, and grief, ultimately leading us to greater joy, day by day."

--Natasha Smith, author of Can You Just Sit with Me

About the Author

Mary DeMuth has written over fifty books, including The Most Overwhelmed Women of the Bible and 90-Day Bible Reading Challenge. Through her podcast Pray Every Day and her speaking events around the globe, Mary seeks to help people heal from past trauma and live re-storied lives as followers of Jesus. Mary is married to Patrick and has three adult children.