Brave Hearted Ministry Summer Retreat: Session Four: Release by Rev. Maria Guzman

 

Brave Hearted Ministry Summer Retreat

Session Four — Release

Surrendering Your Burdens

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.” — Psalm 55:22 (NLT)

Hello Brave Hearted Steppers,

I pray the Lord has been meeting you in meaningful ways throughout this retreat.

As we have journeyed together, we have learned to Arrive in God’s presence, Be Still and listen for His voice, and Remain connected to Jesus, the True Vine.

Now, God invites us to take another Brave Hearted step.

Release.

Retreat Moment

Before you begin this session, take a slow, deep breath.

Pause.

Take a moment to notice what you are carrying today.

Perhaps it is a worry.

A fear.

A disappointment.

An unanswered prayer.

A relationship.

A responsibility.

A decision.

Maybe it is something you have been carrying for so long that you no longer remember what it feels like to live without it.

Whatever it is, bring it before the Lord.

You do not have to hide it.

You do not have to minimize it.

You do not have to pretend that it does not hurt.

Jesus already knows.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you open your hands and release what you have been holding so tightly.

Today, simply come before God as you are.

Let Him meet you in the places where you feel weary.

Let Him meet you in the places where you feel afraid.

Let Him meet you in the places where you are struggling to trust.

And remember:

You were never meant to carry everything alone.

Welcome & Reflection

There comes a point in every journey when God lovingly asks us to let go.

To release.

To surrender.

For many of us, this can be one of the hardest steps of faith.

We may know that God is trustworthy, yet still find ourselves holding tightly to the things that worry us most.

We pray about something, but then pick it back up again.

We give God our concerns, but later spend hours worrying about them.

We tell Him we trust Him, but secretly try to control the outcome.

I know I have been there.

Maybe you have too.

Sometimes surrender feels frightening because we think that releasing something means giving up.

But Biblical surrender is not giving up.

Surrender is giving over.

It is placing what we cannot control into the hands of the One who can.

It is saying:

“God, I don’t understand this, but I trust You.”

“I don’t know what will happen, but I know You are with me.”

“I cannot carry this anymore, so I am placing it in Your hands.”

“I release my need to control the outcome.”

“I choose to trust You with what I cannot change.”

Surrender does not mean that we stop caring.

It means that we stop carrying what belongs in God’s hands.

Sometimes we hold onto burdens because we believe that worrying will somehow protect us.

We replay conversations.

We imagine every possible outcome.

We try to solve tomorrow’s problems today.

We carry the weight of other people’s choices.

We hold onto guilt from our past.

We fear what the future might bring.

And slowly, without realizing it, the very things we were never meant to carry begin to weigh down our hearts.

But Jesus offers us another way.

He invites us to come to Him.

Not when we have everything figured out.

Not when we have become strong enough.

Not when our circumstances have changed.

He invites us now.

In Matthew 11, Jesus speaks directly to those who are weary and burdened and invites them to come to Him for rest.

What a beautiful invitation.

The same Jesus who invited us to arrive in His presence is now inviting us to release our burdens there.

The same Jesus who taught us to be still is teaching us to trust.

The same Jesus who called us to remain is reminding us that we do not have to carry life in our own strength.

We can release it.

We can surrender it.

We can trust Him with it.

And sometimes, release is not a one-time decision.

Sometimes, we have to surrender the same thing again and again.

That does not mean we have failed.

It means we are learning to trust God more deeply.

Every time we notice that we have picked up the burden again, we can simply bring it back to Him.

“Lord, I give this to You again.”

And He meets us with grace.

Today, God is inviting you to open your hands.

What have you been carrying that He is asking you to release?

Key Scriptures

“Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you.” Psalm 55:22 (NLT)

“Give your burdens”

The Hebrew word often translated as “burden” can refer to a portion, lot, or something assigned to a person. This reminds us that God is concerned about the weight we carry. He invites us to place our burdens into His care rather than attempting to carry them alone.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

“Give all”

God does not ask us to bring only the burdens that seem manageable. We are invited to bring all our worries and cares to Him.

“He cares about you”

Our surrender is rooted in God’s character. We release our burdens because we know that the One receiving them genuinely cares for us.

"28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matthew 11:28–30 (NLT)

“Come to me”

Jesus’ invitation is personal. He does not tell the weary to simply try harder or carry their burdens more effectively. He says, “Come to me.”

“I will give you rest”

The rest Jesus offers is deeper than physical rest. It is rest for the soul—the peace that comes from trusting ourselves and our burdens into His hands.

"6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6–7 (NLT)

“Do not worry about anything”

This passage does not deny that difficult circumstances exist. Instead, it teaches us where to take our anxiety: into God’s presence through prayer, petition, and thanksgiving.

“God’s peace”

God’s peace may not always change our circumstances immediately, but it can guard our hearts and minds while we walk through them.

"5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5–6 (NLT)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”

Trust requires us to place our confidence in God even when we cannot see the entire path ahead.

“Do not depend on your own understanding”

Surrender often means accepting that we do not have all the answers. We can trust God’s wisdom when our own understanding is limited.

Reflection Questions

Take a few quiet moments with the Lord and reflect:

1. What burden am I carrying right now that God may be asking me to release?

2. What do I find hardest to surrender to God?

3. Do I tend to give my worries to God and then pick them back up again? Why?

4. Where am I struggling with the need to control the outcome?

5. Is there a fear, disappointment, or unanswered question that I need to place into God’s hands?

Journal Prompts

Write honestly before the Lord:

1. “Lord, the burden I am carrying today is…”

2. “I have been holding onto this because…”

3. “What I am most afraid will happen is…”

4. “God, I struggle to surrender this because…”

5. “Today, I choose to release…”

Take your time.

There is no need to rush this moment.

Let your journal become a safe place where you can be completely honest with God.

Pause, Pray, Take 30!

As we continue practicing Pause, Pray, Take 30!, today’s practice is about releasing.

Throughout your day, notice when worry begins to rise.

When you feel anxious about something you cannot control, pause.

Stop.

Breathe.

Name the burden before God.

Then release it.

You might pray:

“Lord, I give this to You. Help me trust You with what I cannot control.”

Remember:

“Never stop praying.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

Prayer does not have to be complicated.

Sometimes a thirty-second prayer of surrender is enough to remind your heart:

God is here.

God cares.

God is trustworthy.

Today’s Pause Prompt

Pause wherever you are.

Take one slow, deep breath.

Think of one thing that has been weighing heavily on your heart.

Hold your hands open as a physical reminder of surrender.

Whisper:

“Lord, I release this into Your hands. I trust You with what I cannot control.”

Take thirty seconds.

Breathe.

Release.

Trust.

Then continue your day, remembering that you do not have to pick the burden back up.

Practice

This week, practice surrendering your burdens to God intentionally.

Choose one or more:

1. Begin each morning by giving God one specific concern before you begin your day.

2. Write down one burden you are carrying and pray over it, intentionally releasing it to God.

3. Whenever you notice yourself worrying about something you have already surrendered, pause and give it back to God.

4. Practice at least three Pause, Pray, Take 30! moments each day.

5. Read 1 Peter 5:7 each morning and remind yourself that God cares about you.

Remember, surrender is not always a single moment.

Sometimes it is a daily practice.

Sometimes it is an hourly practice.

And sometimes, it is a moment-by-moment decision to trust God again.

You do not have to be perfect at surrender.

You simply have to keep bringing your heart back to the One who can carry what you cannot.

Prayer

Father God,

Thank You for reminding me that I do not have to carry my burdens alone. You know every worry that has been weighing on my heart. You know every fear I have tried to hide. You know every disappointment I have struggled to understand. You know every unanswered prayer and every situation I cannot control.

Today, I choose to bring them to You. Lord, I release what I have been holding so tightly.

I release my worries. I release my fears. I release my need to control the outcome. I release the things I cannot change. I release the questions I cannot answer. I release the people I cannot control. I release the future I cannot see. Help me trust You. When I am tempted to pick up my burdens again, gently remind me that they are safer in Your hands than in mine.

Teach me to trust Your heart when I cannot understand Your plan. Teach me to rest when I want to strive. Teach me to wait when I want immediate answers. Teach me to surrender when I want control.

Help me remember that surrender is not weakness. It is an act of faith.

Today, I choose to believe that You are good, You are faithful, and You care for me. I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know who holds tomorrow.

Thank You for carrying me when I am too tired to carry myself. Thank You for being my refuge, my strength, and my peace.

I place my burdens into Your loving hands. And I choose to trust You.

Brave Hearted Challenge

Before our next session, choose one burden that you have been carrying and intentionally surrender it to God.

Write it down.

Pray over it.

Release it.

Then, each time you feel tempted to pick it back up, remind yourself:

“I already gave this to God.”

You may need to surrender it more than once.

That’s okay.

Keep bringing it back to Him.

In your journal, reflect:

1. What did I intentionally release to God this week?

2. What happened in my heart when I surrendered it?

3. Did I experience any moments of peace after releasing my burden?

4. What did I learn about trust?

5. What am I still struggling to surrender?

If you feel comfortable, share your experience in the blog comments to encourage someone else on their Brave Hearted journey.

Someone may be carrying the same burden you are.

Your testimony may remind them that they do not have to carry it alone.

Your story matters.

Your journey matters.

And your Brave Hearted step of surrender may help someone else take theirs.

Brave Hearted Blessing

May you find the courage to release the burdens you were never meant to carry alone.

May you trust God with the things you cannot understand.

May you surrender your fears without losing hope.

May you release your need for control and discover the freedom that comes from trusting God’s faithful hands.

May His peace guard your heart and mind when circumstances remain uncertain.

May you remember that you are never alone in the places where life feels heavy.

And when you find yourself carrying the burden again, may you have the grace to release it once more.

May you walk forward lighter.

May you walk forward freer.

May you walk forward with greater trust in the God who carries you.

Walk Brave Heartedly.

Rev. Maria Guzman

Founder of Brave Hearted Ministry

Sneak Peek

Session Five — Keep Moving Forward: Living Brave Heartedly

In our final session, we will reflect on everything God has been teaching us throughout this retreat and discover what it means to keep moving forward with courage, faith, and confidence in God’s presence.

We have learned to Arrive.

We have learned to Be Still.

We have learned to Remain.

We have learned to Release.

Now, it is time to Keep Moving Forward.

Together, we will celebrate the journey, embrace the next step, and walk boldly into whatever God has prepared for us.

The retreat may be coming to an end, but the journey with God is just beginning.