Schedule it!

Spiritual practice: personal retreat

What do I diligently schedule? Written on paper or typed into a digital calendar: doctor's appointments, work, grocery shopping, school events, Sunday worship or church events, vacation, financial planning, or spiritual retreat? What have I commited to and created space for?

I value my relationship with God. I also believe that the health of my relationship with God is foundational to the well-being of my family and my ministry. So scheduling intentional time with God is an investment in relationship with God and benefits my family and ministry.

Schedule it!

Just this week I began working toward scheduling a personal retreat in January 2026. When my first daughter was one, I began scheduling retreat time. The season of life with young children shaped what was possible: sometimes a half day was all the time I could manage and sometimes I could schedule more. How can I align my life with my core value of seeking intimacy with God and pursuing internal growth? I had other values that influenced my schedule in concrete ways. Grocery shopping, family or community gatherings, doctor's appointments, and getting my car inspected also made it onto my calendar. If I did not go grocery shopping the fridge would be empty, and if I did not get my car inspected there could be consequences. If I do not tend my soul, eventually, depletion will result in concrete, tangible results as well. How can my calendar and use of time reflect my values?

Jesus told us he is the bread of life, and he is living water. Time to attend to God is not an extravagance, like icing on a cake, but rather essential. If retreat is a new spiritual practice, could you explore how "retreat" might benefit you, given your personality, resources, and season of life.

Planning a Personal Retreat

• Schedule it! A weekend, an overnight, or even a half day/day to get away from your usual rhythms. Mark that day on your calendar as sacred.

• Location: You can retreat at a hotel, Airbnb, a friend's home, or a space like The Welcoming Place, Akron. Ask God to provide and prayerfully consider your options.

• Three fold focus: (Although there may be others like vision or work, celebration, etc.)

  • How do I need REST (Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual)?

  • What is God's invitation to REPENTANCE (realignment, discernment, attention to addictive or unhealthy habits)?

  • What is need for RENEWAL (inner healing, creative and visionary ideas, relational repair or engagement, missional guidance)?

• Resources:

  • Books - I created Come as a guide through a personal retreat with journal space.

    Come: God's Invitation to Rest and Renewal, personal retreat guidebook

    Invitation to Retreat, Ruth Haley Barton

    Invitation to Silence and Solitude, Ruth Haley Barton

    The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen

    Boundaries for Your Soul, Allison Cook & Kimberly Miller (soul work)

  • Creativity - Would some sort of creative prayer be meaningful. Collage is an accessible way to be creative if you do not see yourself as artistic or you do. There are multiple ways to include creative prayer activity in retreat.

  • Chocolate - A little chocolate is integral to retreat time (or a treat that you enjoy).

• Elements you may want include in retreat:

  • Gratitude - Reflect on God's blessing and provision.

  • Celebration - Remember and delight in fruitfulness. How could you do this in a concrete way?

  • Healing - Are there hurts in your life that need God's healing and/or need to be named and grieved with God?

  • Review spiritual and life rhythms - Consider your toolbox for well-being (prayer, engaging Scripture, fasting, service and ministry, silence, generosity, work-sabbath rhythms, play, etc.). Are there invitations to different tools?

  • Take a nap - We are created for rest.

Personal retreat in a basket

There are places that host silent retreats, providing guided personal time with God without being completely alone. For those who shepherd, Space to Listen will offer a Shepherd's Prayer Retreat in early spring. This retreat provides some community engagement and some alone time.

Perhaps the gift of a retreat basket/box would be meaningful for you or a shepherd you care about. You could include: Book (Come - personal retreat guidebook listed below), candle (reminder to attend to God and to the light), journal, a pitcher (a reminder to fill up before pouring out), a reminder to play (bubbles or something fun), and chocolate. You could also include a gift card/certificate for a location. Add any other reminders of God's love... consider a retreat as a romantic get-away with the One who loves you most.

A imaginative prayer reflecting on the need for retreat.

Blog post - Respite Retreat

COME: God's Invitation to Rest and Renewal

$14.15

Buy Now