This year in Beyond the Weekend, journey through different biblical models of prayer—one each month. October’s focus is Prayers of Surrender: yielding our will to God’s will.

Read: Genesis 22:1-19 | Listen: Genesis 22

Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. Genesis 22:8

God tests Abraham with the hardest request possible: to sacrifice his only son, the son he had waited decades to receive. Abraham obeys without argument. He rises early, gathers wood, and climbs Mount Moriah with Isaac at his side. When Isaac asks about the lamb, Abraham answers in faith, trusting God will provide. He believes God could even raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). At the altar, Abraham raises the knife, fully surrendered—and God stops him. A ram appears, caught in a thicket, provided in the exact moment of need.

Just as Abraham surrendered his greatest treasure, trusting God would provide, we too can surrender our plans, desires, and fears to God. Maybe it’s a job situation, a health concern, a relationship, or a decision about the future—whatever it is, we can bring it to God today. Yesterday, we watched Jesus pray, “Take this cup from me,” and the Father didn’t. On Mount Moriah, God spared Abraham’s son and provided a ram to take his place. But no ram appeared for Jesus, because Jesus himself became the Lamb God provided. God did not spare his own Son (Romans 8:32). He gave him up to take our place. If God held nothing back from us, we can trust him to give us everything we need to follow him.

TODAY: Name one thing—a plan, a relationship, a fear—you’re holding on to tightly. Surrender it to God in prayer, trusting that just as he provided for Abraham, and for us through Jesus, he will provide what you truly need, even if his answer looks different from what you expect.