APRIL THEME – “SEEING THE RESURRECTION FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE”
BEATS FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART
Resurrection Power Is Released Through Surrender
Galatians 2:20 — “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Many believers desire resurrection power, but few understand how it is truly accessed. We often think it comes through striving harder, praying longer, or doing more, but the doorway to resurrection life is not effort—it is surrender. The Christian life was never meant to be lived by your strength, your wisdom, or your control; it was designed to be lived by Christ Himself through you. Until you release your grip, you will never experience His flow. Resurrection power begins where self-effort ends.
Surrender Is the Gateway to Power
The world teaches you to take control, push harder, and make things happen, but the Kingdom of God operates in the opposite way. Power is released not when you take control, but when you yield control. The more you try to manage everything—your emotions, your relationships, your future—the more frustrated and drained you become. Jesus did not call you to live for Him in your own strength; He called you to die to yourself so He could live through you. When you surrender, you are not losing—you are positioning yourself to receive divine strength. Resurrection power does not flow through a clenched fist; it flows through open hands.
“Not I, But Christ” Is the Daily Exchange
Paul said, “not I, but Christ,” and that is the exchanged life. Every day there is a battle over who will live your life—you or Him. When you insist on your way, your timing, and your understanding, you limit what God desires to do. But when you step back and say, “Lord, live through me,” everything changes. This is not passive living; it is surrendered living. It means in your marriage, Christ responds; in your parenting, Christ leads; in your struggles, Christ strengthens. What you cannot fix, He can. What you cannot carry, He already bore. What you cannot change, He has the power to transform. Victory is not found in trying harder—it is found in yielding deeper.
What You Surrender, God Transforms
Many people hold tightly to the very things that are crushing them—control, fear, past wounds, and unmet expectations. They think if they just try harder, they can fix it, but God is waiting for surrender, not striving. Think of Abraham placing Isaac on the altar, where what he surrendered, God preserved and multiplied. Think of Jesus in Gethsemane saying, “not my will, but thine, be done,” and that surrender led to resurrection glory. The principle is clear: what you release to God does not die—it is transformed. If you keep holding it, you carry the weight, but if you surrender it, God releases His power.
Imagine trying to swim while gripping heavy weights in both hands. You may struggle to stay afloat, exhausting yourself with every movement, but the moment you release the weights, something powerful happens—you rise. The water that once felt overwhelming now holds you up. In the same way, many believers are spiritually drowning, not because God has failed, but because they refuse to release what He never asked them to carry. Surrender is not sinking—it is rising into His strength.
Resurrection power is not reserved for special moments; it is available for daily living, but it only flows through a surrendered life. You do not need more strength—you need more surrender. You do not need to try harder—you need to yield deeper. The empty tomb is not just proof that Jesus lives; it is an invitation for Him to live through you. The question is not whether His power is available, but whether you are willing to surrender enough to experience it.
Warfare Prayer
Lord Jesus, I come before You in full surrender. I lay down my will, my plans, my fears, and my need for control. In the authority of Your name, I renounce every spirit of pride, self-reliance, and fear that has tried to keep me in control. I declare that I am crucified with Christ, and my life is no longer my own. Live through me today, Lord. Think through my mind, speak through my words, and love through my actions. Let resurrection power flow into every weak place, every broken place, and every area I have struggled to change. I receive Your life, Your strength, and Your victory. I declare that what I surrender, You will transform. I will not carry what You have already overcome. I walk today not in my strength, but in the power of the risen Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Daily Challenge
Identify one area of your life you have been trying to control—your marriage, your emotions, your past, or your future—and intentionally release it to God today by saying, “Lord, I surrender this to You. Live Your life through me here.” Throughout the day, every time you feel the urge to take it back, pause and surrender it again.
THURSDAY’S PRAYER REQUESTS
Kim McClain’s Daughter, Amanda
Jillian Gray
Nancy Riley
Ellen Boyd
Mary Williams
Theresa Bain
Wes Knight – Much Improved
Ellen Boyd – Fractured Shoulder – Sling For 6 Weeks Then Rehab
Ann Stanley
Britany Smith ~ Breast Cancer
Mateen – Kim McClain’s Sister
Mike And Paula Ferris And Family
Phillip Roach – Surgery Went Well
Amy Garner’s Dad
Andrea Nix– Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Angela Bryan’s Sisters
Annette Ford
Brando Echarte
Carol Lawhead – Riverside in Conyers
Christopher Kelley
Danny Jarrard
Darlene Kelley – Cancer Treatment
Darlene Wiggins
Debbie Foskey
Deon Lotter
Don And Carol Franklin – Mae’s Cousins
Don Franklin’s Son, David
Doris Loyd
Dr. and Mrs. Davis
Ed Adkins – Friend of Brian Edwards
Ed Franklin’s Son In Law – Heart Surgery
Eric Magnusson’s Mother
Eric Ward
Friend of Linda Hodge
Gayle Sparks
Gloria Young
Jake Jenkins
James Burnette
Jean Partee
Jean Partee’s Sister
Jessica Headrick
John McClain’s Mother
Joni Oberhage
June Cronan
June Cronan’s Sister
June Davis
Kailey Bateman
Kim McClain’s Mother
Kim’s Sisters – Ann & Brenda & Mateen
Lillianna Magnusson’s Mom
Linda Mays
Lonzo Christian
Lori Blount’s Mother
Mary Williamson – Dana Jackson’s Mom
Mrs. Franklin
Nancy Brown
Nora Allison
Paul Bateman
Ron And Johnnie Barry – Friends Of Ashton & Glenda Bateman
Rose Fuller – Pruitt-Monroe Nursing Home, Forsyth GA
Roy Roach
Sandra Mitchell
Scott Lanier
Scotty Nix
Stephanie Seivers – Friend of the Shelnutt’s
Steve Michaels
Tammy Shelnutt
Tom Witcher