Defeat or surrender?

The past few months have been hard ones for us.  A lot has been going on.  Big problems have come up, health issues have arisen, a relationship with a dear friend has been threatened, and hard decisions have had to be made.  It has been one of those times when it seems like there is no end to the sequence of difficult events.  A couple of weeks ago, in the midst of all of these things, an additional health problem that arose put me over the edge and I found myself in a place of feeling completely defeated.  Previously, I had felt a desire to fight against spiritual attack and discouragement, but at that moment when my physical heart was in pain and not functioning as it should, my emotional heart reached a point of weariness and defeat.  How could I fight when I physically felt so weak and hurt?  What could I fight with when it seemed that every door we tried to pass through was being slammed in our faces? 

But, God's gentle voice came, "Sarah, I don't want you to feel defeated.  I want you to change that feeling of defeat to one of surrender." 

I prayed to God, surrendering to Him.  As the feeling of defeat shrank, I felt free.  Through this, God reminded me that "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).  By surrendering to Him, His power is made perfect in my weakness, making me strong in Him (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).  My feelings of defeat came from depending on myself and my own strength.  Transferring that feeling to one of surrender reminded me that He will be victorious, and that since I am His, I will be part of that victory.  Praise God!

Are you in a place of feeling defeated?  What helps you surrender to Him?  Are there specific ways that we can be praying for you?