How To Practice The Art Of A Daily Retreat

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our world is going crazy.  Everything is getting faster and increasingly complex.  We are frenzied, over stimulated, techno crazed, media saturated, and over scheduled.  Perhaps more than ever before, we need to rediscover the art of a daily retreat.

Daily Retreat

Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not on a crusade against busy schedules, media, or being connected to the information highway.  I am an advocate for activity, productivity, and being engaged in our world.  If you looked at my life, you would see that I love to work, from early in the morning into the night.

No, my concern is about margin.  The tricky dark side to our busy connectivity is that it can become addictive.  We can lose our ability to know when to turn it off so that we can find space for our souls to breath in the Spirit of God.

Jesus taught us a different way.  He didn’t teach us to avoid busyness or to ignore life’s demands.  But he did display for us the art of daily retreating.  He taught us to create space for God in the midst of our frenzied pace.  In Mark 1:35-39 we see Him model one of these brief retreats.  In verse 35, the Bible says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (NIV)

I see in our Lord’s brief retreat Five Components we can incorporate in our time with God.

1. Silence:  Jesus got up “very early in the morning, while it was still dark.”  He carved out time, before the demands of daylight.  How wise we would be if we would go to bed a little earlier so that we could get up before the rest of the world awakes clamoring for our attention.  I don’t think I ever regretted a time I got up early to fellowship with God.  But I know many times I have regretted staying up late glued to the T.V., only to have difficulty awaking the next day and missing my time with the Lord.
2. Solitude:  Jesus “went up to a solitary place.”  He got alone, retreated from interruptions.  There has to be a time, even if only for minutes, when it is just God and you.  This is a time to turn off the social media and pull away from the demands of others.
3. Sharing:  It was in this quiet place that Jesus “prayed.”  He spoke with His Father God.  We have great need to pour our heart out to the Lord.  Pray to Him about the day ahead, lay before Him your needs, and seek His wisdom and direction.
4. Scripture:  After Jesus had spent time with the Father his disciples found Him.  Jesus told them of His calling to travel elsewhere to “preach” God’s Word.  Jesus could preach because He knew the Word of God.  In our daily retreat, Scripture reading should be a central part.  Read a passage, ponder it’s meaning, and prayerfully apply God’s Word to your life.
5. Seeing our call to Serve:  After our Lord’s retreat we see Him continue in His ministry, even covering more ground, and reaching more people.  We must always remember that our time with God is never just about us.  God is preparing us to have impact on others.

The Challenge:  Plan today for a morning retreat for tomorrow.  Go to bed a little earlier and set your alarm to get up a little earlier.  Find that place of solitude, open up the Bible, and fellowship with the God who loves you so very much.

Question:  What are some practices you have found helpful in your daily time with God?  You can leave a comment by clicking here.