FAITH-Life_Magazine_September_Final_HighRes

Drawing Close to God
BY RONDA HASTINGS
Do you ever long to hear the voice of God? I do. But
at times it can be challenging to hear clearly over
the noise of my everyday life. Do you know what I
mean? The phone is ringing, deadlines are looming,
children are yelling. Life can be so very noisy and busy.
There is work that needs to be done, rooms that need to
be cleaned, meals that need to be cooked, appointments
that need to be kept, bills that need to be paid. On and on
and on. Does it ever feel overwhelming to you?
This is exactly why going on a spiritual retreat is so
important. It is a time to withdraw from the normal
activities and demands of our busy lives in order to enter
into the presence of God. It is a time of prayer, worship
and edification that renews us and reshapes our lives.
The culmination of a retreat should leave us with a new
focus, new tools for living and a new understanding of our
relationship with God.
JESUS & RETREATS
Jesus frequently chose to withdraw from the crowds in
order to spend time in prayer and in communion with the
Father. Even the Son of God needed to experience the
renewal that comes from entering into God’s presence. In
the New Testament we find that Jesus stepped away from
daily activities and retreated into the presences of God for
a variety of reasons:
• He withdrew when things were very busy or when
He was weary. (Lk. 5:15-16, Mark 6:31, 33-35, 46)
• He separated Himself from others and sought God
before making major decisions. (Lk. 6:12-13)
• He spent time with the Father when facing great
temptations. (Mat. 4:1-2, Mat. 26:36)
• He retreated during times of preparation for ministry.
(Mat. 17:1-3)
THE DISCIPLES & RETREATS
Jesus encouraged the disciples to retreat as well. Mark
6:31 tells us that there were so many people coming and
going that Jesus and the disciples didn’t even have time to
eat. Jesus spoke to the disciples, saying, “Come with me by
yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (NIV). The
Lord invited them to step away from the pressures and
demands of the day into a quiet place with Him. It is to be
a place where they will be able to get some “rest”. That
Greek word means to cease from labor in order to recover
and renew one’s strength. That is what the Lord wants for
us too. He wants us to step away from the stresses and
pressures so He can refresh and
renew us.
Sometimes the Lord called His
disciples away on retreat so
that they could be equipped
and empowered for what
was coming. An example
of this is seen in
Acts 1. In verses 4-5
of chapter 1, Jesus
tells the disciples
that they are not
to leave Jerusalem,
but to wait
for what the
Father had promised,
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The disciples and several
others gathered together in an upper room in Jerusalem
where they devoted themselves to prayer. There were
about 120 people gathered together seeking the Lord.
(Acts 1:15) It was in this atmosphere of prayer and worship
that, several days later, the room was filled with the
sound of a mighty rushing wind, tongues of fire rested on
each of them and every person there was filled with the
Holy Spirit. As a result they were prepared and equipped to
begin the mission of being Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem,
Judea, Samaria and, ultimately, to all the world.
WHY WE GO ON SPIRITUAL RETREATS
It makes sense that if retreats were important to Jesus, and
He encouraged His disciples to go on them, retreats
should be important for us as well.
• Retreats are a time of strategic withdrawal from the
demands of life so that we can enter into the presence of
Almighty God and clearly hear His voice.
1. As we hear the Lord we gain insight for our daily
lives.
2. We are revived as the Holy Spirit fills us afresh and
anew.
3. We gain new tools and learn new skills to help us “do
life” better.
4. Our worship is enhanced and we are able to make
new commitments to the Lord.
• In group retreats we gather together to build each
(DRAWING CLOSE TO GOD, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)
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