How to Have a Retreat with God
By Bryan Rollins
Have you ever gone on a retreat? I recently got back from a high school retreat with LCC’s student ministry. It was great to get away from the everyday and head to the mountains to focus on God for two whole days. It was refreshing to have time worshipping God, playing games and building friendships around a campfire.
I woke up on the last day feeling so refreshed that I was not sure I was ready to return to the real world. In fact, I thought, “Why can’t I come back up next weekend for another round?” On the drive home, it occurred to me that God wants us to retreat to Him and with frequency—anytime and anywhere. You don’t necessarily have to travel four hours on a bus with people from church.
Three things to consider when you’re planning your retreat with God:
1. Pick a place.
Anywhere will do. Just find a place that works best for you—somewhere you can focus on God with little to no distraction. Remember Daniel in the Old Testament? He had a place where he would go and meet with God—an upstairs room in his house with the window opened toward Jerusalem. Maybe you have a special place in your house or a garden spot near your home. My fellow citizens of the Lowcountry, we are surrounded by beautiful locales we can retreat to whenever we want. There are nature preserves, parks and even the beach. A lot of Christians will drive four or more hours to retreat to the beach, and you can go whenever you want.
2. Pick the best time for you.
According to Mark 1:35, Jesus would get up before the sun to go and spend time with his Father. I already hear the groans. If you are not a morning person, then don’t schedule your retreat in the morning. Find the best time that works for you. There is something nice about starting your day with your Creator and filling up on the Holy Spirit before starting the daily grind, but don’t set yourself up for failure before you start.
3. Plan your time out.
It doesn’t have to be spontaneous. Retreating away is simply stopping to rest in who God is, what He has done for you and who you are in Him. Have your resources ready to go. I like to have a large cup of coffee, a devotional, my Bible and a notebook. You can play music and spend time reading the Psalms, or you can just reflect on your story and how God has shown up and shown out in powerful ways.
The Psalmist wrote, “Be still and know that I am God.” When you stop to meditate on the goodness of God, you will retreat into the source of your strength and endurance. You will find rest and be prepared to return to not only survive daily life, but also to thrive in daily life.
Bryan Rollins lives in Bluffton with his wife Erica and their two dogs, Mia and Gracie. He serves on LCC’s middle school team as a 6th grade group leader and on the Sunday morning greeting team.