In moments of uncertainty, pain, or fear, we often grasp for control—desperate to fix, understand, or predict the outcome. But Jesus invites us to something radically different: trust. Not a vague or passive hope, but a confident surrender to His providence, love, and care.
The Surrender Novena is a powerful spiritual tool for letting go of anxiety and learning to rest in the Heart of Jesus. Given by Jesus through Servant of God Don Dolindo Ruotolo, this novena invites us to stop trying to control everything and to instead pray, “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
What Is the Surrender Novena?
The Surrender Novena is a nine-day prayer dictated by Jesus to Fr. Dolindo, a humble Italian priest and contemporary of St. Padre Pio. Fr. Dolindo suffered greatly throughout his life—physically, spiritually, and emotionally, yet became a model of trust and abandonment to Divine Providence.
This novena is unlike many others. Rather than asking for a list of favors or reciting lengthy prayers, each day offers a brief but profound meditation in the voice of Jesus, followed by ten simple repetitions of one surrendering phrase. Its focus is radical dependence on God and deep peace through surrender.
Why Should You Pray It?
We live in a culture obsessed with control. But faith calls us to let go—not because we’re indifferent, but because we believe God is sovereign and good. The Surrender Novena gives words to this act of faith. It becomes a spiritual lifeline when:
- You’re burdened by anxiety, fear, or uncertainty.
- You’re facing circumstances that feel out of your hands.
- You long to grow in trust and peace.
- You need to be reminded that Jesus is already at work.
As Jesus says in the novena: “A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender. Remember this well.”
How to Pray the Surrender Novena
You can begin this novena at any time. There’s no specific feast day or liturgical requirement. Simply choose a time and space where you can be still and open to Jesus’ voice.
Each day follows this simple format:
- Begin with the daily meditation (words from Jesus to Fr. Dolindo).
- After reading, slowly pray 10 times: “O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
It’s helpful to enter into this prayer with silence, attentiveness, and a spirit of listening. If you’re distracted, anxious, or rushed—bring that, too. The surrender begins exactly where you are.
The Surrender Novena
Begin each day by making the sign of the cross.
Close each day with a prayer from Servant of God Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo.
“Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you, I always want to belong completely to Jesus.”
And conclude with the sign of the cross.
Day One
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Two
Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, to be nervous and to desire to think about the consequences of anything.
It is like the confusion that children feel when they ask their mother to see to their needs, and then try to take care of those needs for themselves so that their childlike efforts get in their mother’s way. Surrender means to placidly close the eyes of the soul, to turn away from thoughts of tribulation and to put yourself in my care, so that only I act, saying, “You take care of it.”
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Three
How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me: “You take care of it,” then closes its eyes and rests. In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me; instead, you want me to adapt to your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the Our Father: “Hallowed be thy Name,” that is, be glorified in my need. “Thy kingdom come,” that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. “Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven,” that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. If you say to me truly: “Thy will be done,” which is the same as saying: “You take care of it,” I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Four
Do you see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry. Close your eyes and say to me with faith: “Thy will be done, You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that I will intervene as does a doctor and I will accomplish miracles when they are needed. Do you see that the sick person is getting worse? Do not be upset, but close your eyes and say, “You take care of it.” I say to you that I will take care of it, and that there is no medicine more powerful than my loving intervention. By my love, I promise this to you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Five
And when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mothers’ arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Six
You are sleepless; you want to judge everything, direct everything and see to everything—and you surrender to human strength, or worse—to men themselves, trusting in their intervention. This is what hinders my words and my views. Oh, how much I wish from you this surrender, to help you; and how I suffer when I see you so agitated! Satan tries to do exactly this: to agitate you and to remove you from my protection and to throw you into the jaws of human initiative. So, trust only in me, rest in me, surrender to me in everything.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Seven
I perform miracles in proportion to your full surrender to me and to your not thinking of yourselves. I sow treasure troves of graces when you are in the deepest poverty. No person of reason, no thinker, has ever performed miracles, not even among the saints. He does divine works whosoever surrenders to God. So don’t think about it any more, because your mind is acute and for you it is very hard to see evil and to trust in me and to not think of yourself. Do this for all your needs, do this, all of you, and you will see great continual silent miracles. I will take care of things, I promise this to you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Eight
Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing current of my grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would from temptation. Repose in me, believing in my goodness, and I promise you by my love that if you say, “You take care of it,” I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and guide you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Day Nine
Pray always in readiness to surrender, and you will receive from it great peace and great rewards, even when I confer on you the grace of immolation, repentance and love. Then what does suffering matter? It seems impossible? Close your eyes and say with all your soul: “Jesus, you take care of it.” Do not be afraid, I will take care of things and you will bless my name by humbling yourself. A thousand prayers cannot equal one single act of surrender, remember this well. There is no novena more effective than this.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything! (10x)
Additional Resources
Let the words of this novena sink in, especially during times when surrender feels hardest. If you’re ready to continue deepening your trust and prayer life, here are more resources to guide you:
- Litany of Humility — Learn to follow Christ through the challenging but freeing road of humility.
- How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet — A prayer of trust and surrender to God’s mercy.
- How to Pray with Ignatian Contemplation — Learn to encounter Christ personally through prayer with Scripture.
Let go. Trust more. And repeat with confidence:
“O Jesus, I surrender myself to You, take care of everything!”
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