Sorry and Surrender
About a year ago, I heard a priest give a simple yet profound piece of advice: Start your time in prayer by first telling the Lord you’re sorry, and then surrender your day to Him.
At the time, it struck me as a practical way to pray, but recently, I’ve come to see why it’s so essential—it all goes back to the nature of sin and forgiveness.
When we sin, it’s not just about violating a rule or breaking a contract. While there’s truth in seeing sin as a breach of the covenant we have with God, it’s deeper than that. Sin is relational. It’s a severing of the relationship between us and the Lord who loves us.
Restoration, then, isn’t about signing paperwork or fulfilling a checklist. It’s about restoring the relationship. And that’s the context in which we come to God at the start of our prayer.
When we say, “Lord, I’m sorry,” we’re not apologizing to a lifeless document. We’re apologizing to a Person—to the God who is deeply invested in our hearts. And when we surrender our day, we’re not submitting to a set of abstract rules, but to the One who is Lord of all, who desires our good and wants to guide us.
It’s an act of trust, humility, and love—one that reaffirms our relationship with Him and invites His grace into every moment of our day.
So the next time you begin your prayer, pause for a moment. Tell the Lord you’re sorry. Surrender your day to Him. It’s not a formality; it’s a deeply personal act that draws you closer to the heart of the One who loves you most.