How a "Mini" Prayer Retreat Can Reconnect You With God

12/28/2023

How a Mini Christian Prayer Retreat Can Help You Reconnect with God - blog post by Deborah Perkins of HisInscriptions.com. A strategy for minimizing drift and reconnecting to God and your Christian mission.

Dear Friends,

Many times, people feel frustrated that they don’t hear clearly from God, yet they never take specific steps to cultivate a listening ear.

Since we have biblical promises that believers can hear from the Lord (John 10:27), it’s up to us to listen, lest we drift from God's good plan for our future!

In an excellent book entitled Living Forward, Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy warn that you will easily drift from your vision unless you take the time to develop an action plan that propels you towards your desired destination. “Drift” happens in your marriage, your vocation, or your spiritual life when you lose sight of your purpose and mission in those areas. If your "destination" is the heart of God, it makes good spiritual sense to devote time to that mission!

As 2023 draws to a close, I feel strongly to challenge you to block off at least an hour or two in the near future (a half day would be even better) for a “mini” prayer retreat. I'm providing a downloadable template you can use to guide you through your retreat.

The primary goal of your retreat is to co-create, with the help of the Holy Spirit, an action plan that will help you set goals for the new year and improve your relationship with God.

DOWNLOAD RETREAT OUTLINE

WHY DO A 'MINI' PRAYER RETREAT?

Because they are so powerful, I hold prayer retreats on a regular basis each year. Schedules and priorities change so often; it is helpful to get away and “take inventory” to see where my spiritual resources are weak or depleted and what areas need growth or change.

Even disciplined believers with regular quiet times need dedicated times to evaluate what is working and whether they are moving closer to their ultimate goal of hearing and obeying God in every area of life.

For example, one of the chief distractions for most people is the constant notifications from smartphones. On our mini retreat outline, that problem would fall under the category of “present realities.”

To reach the goal of giving God our full attention, creating a specific action plan might include waiting until quiet times are over before turning on phones or setting specific times each day to check email and messages. Very few alerts on our phones require immediate attention, no matter how loud or persistent they seem!

A second priority is to increase the amount of time spent actually listening to God.

It is easy to read the Word, send up a few personal requests for the day, and then move on. The richest prayer times, however, come when we allow God space to speak personally to us, quietly journaling what He says. Taking time to meditate deeply on scriptures the Holy Spirit highlights yields good fruit!

PRAYER SUPPORT DURING YOUR RETREAT

The mission of His Inscriptions is to help restore life-giving communication with God.

If you decide to use the digital resource above, I would be delighted to pray for you on the day you choose for your retreat so that you feel confident that God will speak to you.

There is power in unified prayer! Simply contact me with the date and time of your prayer retreat and I or members of our prayer team will cover you.

WHERE TO DO A PRAYER RETREAT

If you live in the New England area and need a quiet place to do a spiritual retreat, there are a few options. Our own House of Prayer, (My Father's House) hosts dedicated retreat days each year (visit our House of Prayer page for info/updates).

The Sanctuary at Woodville in Hopkinton, MA also has space for individual or corporate prayer retreats as well as beautiful trails you can hike around a lake.

The Sanctuary in New Hampshire offers overnight stays for prayer and space for corporate retreats.

L’abri.org is another well-known resource for Christians, with retreat centers in Massachusetts, Minnesota, Canada, England, Australia, Switzerland, Korea, and even Brazil. Guests spend half of each day in self-directed study and the other half working in the community. Dinnertime conversations and lectures are always spiritually focused and very enlightening! I have enjoyed many pleasant hours in both the American and Swiss Alps retreat houses. More info here.

Lastly, check with churches in your local area for prayer rooms that are open to anyone wishing to use them. It is a rare church that will turn away someone who wants to invest time in prayer! These settings are usually quiet and conducive to personal reflection.

A FRESH START FOR 2024

Please join me in honoring the Lord with the firstfruits of our time as we enter this New Year!

For a donation of just $2, you can download your own print-ready copy of the Mini Prayer Retreat card here.

I'm praying the Lord will richly bless your relationship with Him in 2024.

Happy New Year!
Deborah