A personal spiritual retreat is really a time to step away from distractions etc and intentionally create a space to draw near to God, quiet the noise, and realign your heart with His voice. Whether you’re feeling weary, need a season of rest and renewal, discerning a new season, or simply longing for deeper intimacy with God, a personal retreat can be a powerful reset for your soul.
Even Jesus often withdrew to solitary places to pray. If the Son of God needed time away to commune with the Father, how much more do we?
Luke 5:15–16 (NIV)
“Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
This verse stands out to me so much because, even at the peak of his ministry when my human voice is telling me you need to strive mroe to keep this momentum and success. My brain is saying this is not the time to pause or slow down, you need to work harder girl! Yet, Jesus chose to withdraw, he prioritized prayer and withdrawal.
Mark 1:35 (NIV)
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
Here, again Jesus intentionally created quiet space before the day’s demands began.
Matthew 14:23 (NIV)
“After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.”
Jesus withdrew after ministering to the crowds, choosing solitude with the Father.
Matthew 14:13 (NIV)
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”
This was after hearing of John the Baptist’s death. Jesus chose to withdraw during grief and emotional weight.
It can be difficult to draw near to God or hear what God is saying when there is a lot going on, chaos, busyness etc, when nothing else is quiet. At times like these, a retreat might be timely especially when you desire to hear from God regarding something.
Myself and hubby usually try to take personal retreats at the end of the year or beginning of the year and during our birthdays. We take them separately with one spouse staying home with the kids so the other can go.
A spiritual retreat allows you to:
- Rest from constant noise or activity
- Refocus your heart on God
- Reflect on where you’ve been and where God may be leading
- Restore spiritual clarity and peace
Retreating isn’t running away, it’s responding to an invitation.
Choosing the Right Time and Space for your personal retreat
It is important to choose a location or time that provides as little distractions as possible. Sometimes you may not be able to leave the house completely to a hotel or somewhere, this does not mean a retreat is not possible. You can simply pick a time when no one will be home or there will be less distractions so you can focus on God.
Retreats can be done anywhere:
- Home retreat
- Hotel retreat
- Nature retreat
- Church or prayer center
The retreats do not have to be for an entire weekend, it can be for half a day or a full day depending on how much time you are able to get away for. Maybe its doing your retreat on a weekday when the kids are at school, booking a day away or a weekend away, it can be anything.
For our personal retreats, we usually do Friday through Sunday where I would leave after work on Friday to return after church on Sunday. Usually we will pick a hotel not too far fron the house or at least within 2 hours of the house. I like to ensure the hotel is not in a busy area where I am tempted to get involved in activities etc.
Make sure to let essential family and friends know you will be unavailable during the time so you are not constantly interrupted with phone calls or texts.
What to Bring on Your Spiritual Retreat
Here are a few things you can bring along with you for your prayer retreat.
- Bible (physical or digital)
- Journal and pen
- Worship music or playlist
- Devotional or teaching book
- Comfortable clothing
- Snacks, water, or meals
Have a structure for your Personal Retreat
The structure does not need to be rigid, it simply needs to be open for the Holy Spirit to move and not a way for you to load it up with goals or to do lists. A few things I try to schedule during my retreat are:
- Arrival and time to settle in
I like to plan some time to settle down upon arrival just to calm my mind and get it out of “Everyday mode” and into the tone for the retreat. I also use this time to arrange everything I will be needing in the room like put my bible on the desk, bring out my journal and pen etc. I also use the time to silently invite God into the time, and make the space comfortable.
- Worship and thanksgiving
I set this time aside to spend worshipping and thanking God and and shift my posture from striving to surrender.
- Scripture reading and meditation
I usually try to choose a passage and sit with it. Read slowly and try to see what God might be saying through it.
- Time to read a teaching book or watch a sermon
During the retreat, I usually set aside time to read a christian book or watch a sermon or christian movie as a way to relax
- Prayer and listening
Prayer during a retreat is often more listening than speaking. For prayers, I tend to go with a list of things to pray about especially things that are heavy or confusing but I also ensure I do more of listening than speaking.
- Journaling and reflection
I liek to write my thoughts and creates a record of what God is saying to me.
- Rest (nap, walk, silence)
This is what it is, I sometimes take a nap, or take a short walk around or use this time to grab something to eat if its close to dinner time as I usually fast till 6pm during my retreats.
- Closing prayer and sealing
Before leaving the retreat space, I take time to thank God for what He has done.
What to avoid on your personal retreat
A few things I think are important to avoid are
- Over-scheduling every minute
- Treating retreat like a productivity session
- Expecting dramatic experiences
- Comparing your retreat to that of others’ you might have heard about
- Rushing to leave without reflection
Conclusion on How to plan a Personal Spiritual Retreat
As I look back at my retreats, I have learned that planning a personal spiritual retreat with God is not about having the perfect schedule, perfect things to do, saying the right prayers, or hearing something dramatic. It’s honestly about intentionally making room for rest, and room for God to meet you exactly where you are.
It can be very hard stepping away from all the noise and responsibility, but when we do, we create a space for God to step in and restore what has been worn down, clarifies what has been clouded, and gently prepares us for what’s ahead.