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“So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.”
Peter’s boat was more than a workplace. It was his security. It was where he felt capable, steady, and in control. So when Jesus asked him to cast his nets again and then leave everything behind, Peter wasn’t just being invited into a miracle - he was being invited into trust. Rendering began when he released what felt familiar and followed a voice that promised more than what he could see. Sometimes the hardest thing to give God is not our pain, but our comfort. It’s the routines that keep us steady, the plans that make sense, the version of life we know how to manage. We don’t only give God our fears. We also give Him our hopes, our dreams, and the future we’re trying to protect. Faith is not about shrinking your life to stay safe. It’s about trusting God enough to let your life grow, believing that what He gives in return will always be greater than what you release.

Write down one comfort you feel God nudging you to surrender. Pray over it. Then say out loud, “God, I trust You with this.”

What part of your life feels safe or familiar that God might be inviting you to trust Him with?

God, I give You what I’ve been holding tightly. I trust You with what feels familiar and what feels uncertain. I believe what You provide will be greater than what I release. Amen.


Matthew 16:22–23 (NIV)
“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ‘Never, Lord!’ he said. ‘This shall never happen to you!’
Peter loved Jesus, but he also loved his idea of who Jesus should be. He wanted a Savior who would protect, conquer, and win without pain, so when Jesus spoke about suffering, Peter tried to correct Him. Not because he lacked faith, but because he was afraid of a future that didn’t look like what he imagined. Rendering began when Peter had to accept that God’s plan would not always match his expectations. Sometimes we don’t struggle with trusting God, we struggle with trusting a version of God that doesn’t look the way we thought it would. We assume faith should feel clear, powerful, and predictable, but real faith also asks us to trust God in uncertainty and discomfort. Rendering your assumptions means releasing the picture you painted and allowing God to write something deeper. It means trusting that even when His plans stretch you, confuse you, or challenge you, they are still leading you toward growth, purpose, and life.

Write down one expectation you’ve been holding tightly. Offer it to God in prayer. Then say out loud, “God, I trust Your plan more than my own.”

What expectation about God, faith, or your life might you need to release so you can trust Him more fully?

God, I release my assumptions and my need to control the outcome. Help me trust You even when Your plans look different than mine. I believe Your way is wiser than my understanding. Amen.

Matthew 14:29 (NIV)
“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”
Peter had enough confidence to step out of the boat, but not enough to stay focused when the wind picked up. And honestly, that feels like us. We start strong, full of faith and courage, until fear reminds us of how fragile we really are. Rendering your confidence means realizing that faith is not about trusting yourself, it’s about trusting God. Peter didn’t sink because he tried. He sank because he shifted his focus. Sometimes we put our confidence in how brave we feel, how consistent we’ve been, or how well we’re doing spiritually. But real faith says, “Even when I’m unsure, even when I’m afraid, I still reach for Jesus.” Rendering your confidence means giving God both your boldness and your fear, trusting that He is steady even when you are not. It’s knowing that your strength doesn’t come from how well you perform, but from who you’re holding onto.

Today, notice when you start relying on yourself instead of God. Pause and whisper, “Jesus, I need You.”

Where have you been relying more on yourself than on God?

God, I give You my confidence and my fear. Help me trust You when I feel strong and when I feel unsure. Keep my focus on You, not on what’s around me. Amen.

Luke 22:61 (NIV)
“The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.”
That look wasn’t full of anger; it was full of truth. Peter had promised loyalty and then folded under pressure. He failed publicly, quickly, and deeply. And yet Jesus didn’t look at him to shame him, but to remind him that failure does not cancel relationship. Rendering your failure means refusing to hide from God when you mess up. It means bringing your worst moments into His presence instead of running from them. We all want to be strong, faithful, and consistent, but real faith is not proven by perfection, it’s proven by honesty. When we render our failure, we say, “God, I don’t want to pretend. I want to be healed.” We stop letting our mistakes define us and start letting God restore us. Failure is not the end of your story. It is often the place where grace becomes real.

Write down one failure you’ve been holding onto. Pray over it. Then say, “God, I trust You with my healing.”

What failure have you been carrying that God might be inviting you to bring back to Him?

God, I bring You my mistakes and my regrets. I refuse to let failure define who I am. Thank You for meeting me with grace instead of shame. Amen.

John 21:3 (NIV)
“Simon Peter said, ‘I’m going out to fish,’ and the others said, ‘We’ll go with you.”
After everything Peter had experienced, he went back to what was familiar. Back to fishing. Back to the place that didn’t ask questions or remind him of his failure. That’s what shame does. It convinces us to retreat instead of return. It whispers that we are too broken, too embarrassed, too inadequate, or too far gone to be used by God. Rendering your shame means choosing to come back to Jesus instead of running from Him. It means believing that God doesn’t meet you with disappointment, but with restoration. Peter thought he was done, but Jesus was already preparing breakfast on the shore. Shame says, “Hide.” Jesus says, “Come here.” Rendering your shame is trusting that God still wants you close, even after you’ve messed up.

When shame shows up today, pause and say, “Jesus, I choose closeness over hiding.”

Where have you been pulling back because of shame instead of leaning into God?

God, I give You the parts of me that feel unworthy or embarrassed. Help me believe that You still want me near. Thank You for meeting me with love instead of rejection. Amen.

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
Jesus didn’t start with Peter’s failure. He started with Peter’s heart. Three times Peter had denied Him, and now three times Jesus asked him to speak love out loud. Not to embarrass him, but to rebuild him. Rendering your identity means letting God define who you are, not your worst moment, not your mistakes, not the labels you’ve picked up along the way. Peter wasn’t “the one who failed.” He was still “the one who was called.” Sometimes we let what we did become who we are. But Jesus gently reminds us that identity is not formed by failure, it’s formed by love. Rendering your identity is choosing to believe that you are still chosen, still called, and still deeply valued by God, even after you’ve fallen short.

Today, replace one negative label with truth. Instead of saying, “I am not enough,” say, “I am loved and chosen by God.”

What label have you been carrying that God might be asking you to release?

God, I give You the names I’ve given myself that You never spoke. Help me see myself the way You see me. Root my identity in Your love, not my mistakes. Amen.

Acts 2:14 (NIV)
“Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd…”
Okay now – get this - this is the same Peter who once denied Jesus. The same Peter who ran back to fishing. The same Peter who questioned, doubted, and failed. And now he is standing boldly, speaking with confidence, leading others toward God. Rendering your future means trusting that your past does not disqualify you from purpose. It means believing that God can take every version of you and still write something powerful with your life. Peter didn’t become new overnight. He became willing. He trusted God with what he could not see yet. When we render our future, we give God our dreams, our plans, and even our fears about what’s ahead. We say, “I don’t know how this will turn out, but I trust You with where I’m going.” And we believe that whatever God builds through us will be greater than anything we could build on our own.

Today, speak your future out loud in faith. Say, “God, I trust You with what’s next.”

What part of your future do you need to trust God with instead of trying to control?

God, I give You my tomorrow, my dreams, and my unknowns.Lead me where You want me to go. I trust that what You create will be greater than what I imagine. Amen.

