Hearing from God about the Condition of Your Life Before Him“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
— Psalm 139:23–24
Purpose
This retreat is about hearing from God—about the condition of your life before Him. It is a time of attentive, worshipful listening and surrender, not primarily intercession, productivity, or planning. Come to meet with God as He is, not to get something done. “Solitude begins with a time and a place for God, and God alone.” – Henri Nouwen
You are entering 48 hours to step out of noise, hurry, and crowds (Foster), so that your soul can be retuned to the heart of Christ (Tozer).
Scriptural Foundation
- Psalm 139:23–24 — Search me, O God
- Psalm 119:35–36 — Direct me in the path of Your commands
- Matthew 14:23 — He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray
- Psalm 42:2 — My soul thirsts for God
- Deuteronomy 4:29 — Seek Him with all your heart and soul
- Galatians 5:19–23 — The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit
- Isaiah 40:28 — The everlasting Creator
- Isaiah 55:6–7 — Seek the Lord while He may be found
- John 14:21 — Whoever has My commands and obeys them loves Me
Day 1: Slowing Down and Listening
Morning: Arrival and Orientation
- Turn off all digital devices.
- Pray this prayer aloud:
“Lord, I am here for You. Not to achieve, but to receive. Speak, for Your servant is listening.” - Read slowly: Psalm 139:23–24 and Psalm 42:1–2.
- Spend the first hour doing nothing but being still. Let your mind unwind. Expect distraction. Persist through it.
“In contemporary society our adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds.” – Richard Foster
Journal Prompt:
- What is the condition of my soul?
- What am I carrying that I need to release?
- Where do I sense distance from God?
Midday: Rooted in the Word
“Use the Word liberally. Read it. Pray it. Sing it. Listen to it. Journal it. Meditate on it. Obey it.”
Read through Psalm 119:33–40 and John 15:1–11.
Mark any words or phrases that capture your attention.
Practice:
Movement:
Take a slow walk outside. Notice creation. Pray Isaiah 40:28 as you walk. Let what you see prompt worship.
Evening: Reflection and Repentance
Read Galatians 5:19–23.
Compare the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit.
Reflection:
- Where do I see evidence of the flesh?
- Where is God already producing fruit?
- What do I need to confess or release?
Journal your reflections. Don’t edit or filter—write raw prayers and observations.
Remember: this is between you and God. You can burn it later if you want.
“In solitude… only with a single-minded attention to Christ can we give up our clinging fears and face our true nature.” – Henri Nouwen
Close the day by reading Psalm 51 aloud as a personal prayer of cleansing and renewal.
Day 2: Responding to the Voice of God
Morning: Renewed in Love and Peace
Begin in stillness.
Read Romans 8:31–39.
Ask: What does this reveal about how God feels toward me?
“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” – Richard Sibbes
Practice:
Sit for 15 minutes repeating this prayer:
“Father, let Your love quiet my irritation. Let Your peace dissolve my discouragement.”
Then read Philippians 4:4–9.
Journal what steals your peace and how you can “put your treasure where stuff can’t touch it” (Matthew 6:19–21).
Midday: Worship and Wonder
“Worship Him as you walk about! Worship prompts abound everywhere you look.”
Take an extended walk—alone, unhurried, observant.
Pray about what you see: the trees, the sky, the wind. Let creation tutor you in worship.
Reflect on Isaiah 55:6–7.
Ask: Where am I resisting mercy? Where am I being invited to return?
Journaling Prompt:
What truth is God impressing most clearly on me?
What change or obedience is He calling me to?
“Discipline in the spiritual life is the concentrated effort to create the space and time where God can become our master.” – Henri Nouwen
Evening: Resolution and Renewal
Read John 14:21.
Ask: How will I act on what God has shown me?
Write a “Rule of Life” for the next 30 days:
- Practices that nurture my love for God
- Rhythms that protect my soul’s rest
- Boundaries that guard against hurry and noise
End with this prayer:
“Father, help me to obey what You’ve shown me. Let this time shape my orientation, not just my inspiration. Lead me in the way everlasting.”
“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.” – John 14:21
When You Return
This retreat likely will not transform you overnight—but it can reorient you. What God begins here must be continued in daily obedience and rhythm.
“We should be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering through meditation on His Word spiritual strength for labour in His service.”
– Charles Spurgeon
“Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified.”
– A.W. Tozer
Suggested Rhythms for the 48 Hours
Practices to rotate through:
Walking · Sitting · Resting · Watching · Listening · Reading · Worshiping · Thanking · Repenting · Weeping · Rejoicing · Journaling · Interceding · Singing · Pondering
Quotes for Meditation
“Rose early to seek God, and found Him whom my soul loveth. Who would not rise early to meet such company?”
– Robert M’Cheyne
“What could please God more than for us to leave the cares of the world temporarily in order to worship Him in our spirits?”
– Brother Lawrence
“There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech.”
– Charles Spurgeon
Final Benediction
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him.”
— Isaiah 55:6–7
“Direct me in the path of Your commands, for there I find delight.”
— Psalm 119:35
Go in peace—renewed in love, anchored in truth, and attuned to the glory of God in solitude.