{"id":3452,"date":"2016-04-26T09:54:00","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T09:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/2016\/04\/26\/how-do-i-take-prayer-retreat\/"},"modified":"2016-04-26T09:54:00","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T09:54:00","slug":"how-do-i-take-prayer-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/content\/how-do-i-take-prayer-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do I Take a Prayer Retreat?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You may be wondering if you should spend extended time focusing on God, and how exactly you’d do that. Here are answers to the frequently asked questions.<\/p>\n\t\t

Why would I take a prayer retreat?<\/h2>\n\t\t

Shel Arensen, author of <\/em>Come Away: How to Have a Personal Prayer Retreat<\/em><\/a>, g<\/em>ives three reasons:<\/p>\n\t\t

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  1. Seeking God's face: You want time alone with God to get to know Him better (1 Chronicles 16:10-11).<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t
  2. Asking for understanding and guidance: You have a big decision, and you need God's wisdom and counsel (Psalm 73:24).<\/li>\n\n\t\t\t
  3. Bringing prayer burdens: Your heart is heavy, and you want to cry out to the Lord for help (Psalm 40:13).<\/li>\n\n\t\t<\/ol>\n\t\t

    We might add to this list: “4. Quieting your soul." Author Ruth Haley Barton<\/a> tells of hitting a difficult time in her busy life. A wise person told her, “Ruth, you are like a jar of river water all shaken up. What you need is to sit still long enough that the sediment can settle and the water can become clear."<\/p>\n\t\t

    Does that picture describe you? Then you, like she, might recognize “an invitation to be still and know beyond my addiction to noise, words, people and performance-oriented activity."<\/p>\n\t\t

    What would I do on a prayer retreat?<\/h2>\n\t\t

    No two people will organize a prayer retreat in the same way. There is no formula. Here are some options:<\/p>\n\t\t