The Soul Retreat

Truly my soul finds rest in God; My salvation comes from Him. Psalm 62:1.

For years I have struggled with the concept of having a set, quiet time with God.  Honestly, I think I did not “get it.”  I would do it when I had time, when I felt like it or when I was desperate.  It was more like an item on my To-Do list or a chore.; I often had a quiet time with God; it was just not consistent, and I struggled with the “heart” of my quiet time.

Well, last year, I finally figured it out.  So what changed?  God changed my heart.  I was going thru a rough patch, and my soul desperately needed a place to rest, grieve, and heal. That is how Soul Retreat was born, and before I knew it, I had a regular quiet time with God, I now hunger for. It is no longer an item on my To-Do list.

Today I thought I would share with you some elements that makeup Soul Retreat.

Soul Retreat is about experiencing God. It is time spent away from the business of the day and reconnecting with God in worship, word, and prayer.

My den is where I retreat–it is where I can learn, rest, meditate, read, pray, and worship. It is a place with good energy–books are in here with me, my dog has a bed by my feet, and the window looks out into nature.  There are warm colors here and soft touches. When I am in my retreat space, I feel empowered, strong, confident, and secure.

I love books; I love reading, and I love learning.  Therefore, reading materials are an essential part of my retreat.  I have my bible, but I also have a bookshelf full of books and some online resources I often use. I have built a toolbox of resources to enhance the bible study part of Soul Retreat.

Prayer is the anchor of my retreat. It is the conversation, the hope, the reassurance, the security, the quiet, and the peace of my relationship with God. When praying, I like to kneel. It just feels like the right posture for coming before God, and it shows humbleness and honor. My retreat space has a place for that too.

One of my favorite songs is Take Me In by Kutless.  They sing: Take me into the Holy of Holies, take me in by the blood of the lamb, take me into the Holy of Holies. I hunger and thirst for Your Righteousness. This song brings me to the last element of the retreat I will write about today, worship.

Related: 7 Ways Worship Helps Us Battle The Blues

Worship is the fastest way for me to feel like I have come into the presence of God. Listening to worship music quiet’s my internal voice as I tune into the lyrics.  It will often bring tears to my eyes as my humanness humbles me, and my heart becomes grateful as I recognize how great our God is and how blessed I am to be in a relationship with Him.

I would love to hear about your experience in a quiet time.  Do you have a specific place? A certain time? A favorite way to worship?

Heavenly Father, take me into your Holy of Holies, I hunger and thirst for your righteousness, I desire to spend more time in Your presence and learn your ways.  My soul finds rest in You. My salvation comes from You.   Amen.

Originally posted in February 2018