Important ideas (tips) for planning a spiritual retreat

It’s great knowing you have learned how to plan for a spiritual retreat, so how do you plan the retreat activity itself.

It is great to have you here with me again as we take on another segment of our theme: spiritual retreats. You may wish to refresh your memory, by scanning through the details of the step-by-step guide to planning a spiritual retreat

Spiritual retreats are intentional exercises. Hence, they should be approached with a level of responsibility and deliberateness on our part. It’s more like scheduling a meeting with an important dignitary in your country. You will want to have all things put in place.  The Almighty God is the most important personality on earth. Thus, a more intentional approach is requisite for a meaningful engagement with Him.

In the last blog, we established that planning a spiritual retreat involves putting together all resources required for a purposeful time with God. Jesus practiced the art of retreats in Mark 1:35. This involves a self-oriented organization. This is primary indeed.

If you love this already, then I think you will love why and when a personal retreat is needful? 

8 Tips for Planning a  Personal Spiritual Retreat

Secure a burden from the Lord

The burden refers to the agenda of a spiritual retreat. It is simply the driving force for approaching God. God is Spirit and they must worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth. It is great that you obtain a thrust from the Lord as this will influence all other factors that will be discussed subsequently. There is no hard and fast rule to securing a burden from the Lord. This is why a close relationship with the Spirit of God is always advised. He can drop a burden on your spirit as you watch pray, study, and meditate on His Word. Burdens can also be secured as you observe the personal events around you. Hannah caught a burden to pray for a child because it was her need (fruitfulness) and it was God’s need (a prophet in Israel).

Write down your supplications, petitions, and intercessions

Truthfully, personal retreats are personal. However, it won’t hurt to take some time to pray for others as you are led, e.g for a friend in need. In the preparatory phase, you could take some time to write down specific needs, your expectations, and God’s promises to you in the past. This can form a vital framework for reasoning with the Almighty in this divine appointment.

Assemble your thoughts

Undeniably, you could be feeling spiritually dry and psychologically torn before the retreat. There are backlogs of tasks undone, your promises to God and you are wondering how to begin this spiritual exercise. It appears you lost it at some point in your walk with God and your thoughts are drifting wildly.  Retreats are productive times in God’s presence.  It’s time to pull yourself together and put your thoughts together. Personally, I tend to write down my feelings at that point and pray for God’s peace in my heart.

Declutter your mind

Decluttering is a great tool for letting off an emotional burden. It means giving your mind space to breathe. I do this often when I go away to someplace quiet maybe for 30mins. It affords me an opportunity to think through, identify problems and plan for solutions. It could also involve confessing a sin, letting the grudge go, or speaking to a loved or trusted friend. It sure helps you unwind.

Maintain peace within

It is okay to forgive yourself for that mistake, and sin and let God’s forgiveness settle in your heart. Most times, the guilt of confessed sins can weigh heavily on the mind, and this can hinder you from making headway in planning for that retreat. God desires that you come to Him and He will want to be with you.

Assemble all your resources

Having settled on the aforementioned points, it’s time to assemble the required resources needed for this heavenly rendezvous. You will want to gather materials that resonate with the agenda of your meeting with God.

For example.

Lydia’s burden for her 2-day retreat with God is victory over a reoccurring illness. Lydia will need to gather materials that largely talk about healing and the kingdom’s health. Books, audio-message, devotionals, etc. will be more geared towards building her faith in the health system of the Kingdom. Although, the Holy Spirit cannot be put in a box in his dealings with her and may wish to talk about other facets of her life.

Decide on relevant retreat materials

It’s important to decide on the necessary physical materials that will be needed to ensure stability. Your knowledge of the retreat center will guide your decision on what to pack into your bag. This will include the type of cloth, underwear, light source, foot cover, beddings, etc. It’s important to also decide if it’s a marathon fast exercise, fruits, or light snack breaks. Knowledge of yourself and the venue will play an important role here. It will be unwise to be seen strolling around in need of a basic item.

Spiritual retreats are beautiful moments of encounter with the Holy Spirit. When engaged purposefully and strategically, one can truly maximize the freshness that emanates from basking under His Light.

The ideas discussed above are not exhaustive. It serves as a guide to help you pull through your next retreat. I do hope you are sure to have one in no distant time? I can’t wait to hear about it all!

I hope to share with us an important part of engaging in a spiritual retreat, titled ‘Helpful activities to guide you in a personal retreat’

Do stay tuned

God bless you immensely.

Do well to drop other helpful tips so we can also learn from one another! (winks)