This activity is more concrete and visual, focusing on the chronology of what has happened and how that has impacted you. Pause to commit this time of reflection and prayer to God. Ask for his help in seeing and remembering what is important for you to process on from last year. Looking Back Looking Forward...
Category: Let the Thirsty Come
Intro to Annual Reflection
The following reflection activities all have the same purpose: to look back and process with God on what has been, and to look forward and entrust the desires of our hearts to him. He is with us every step, past and future. Our looking ahead is not with anxiety or goals we plan to conquer....
Next Steps After Confession
As we are convicted of sin, confess, and repent, God calls us on to healing, reconciliation, fellowship, and hope. After a time of self-examination and confession, prayerfully process through and consider these follow-up steps. Putting on Christ God calls us to intentionally put to death sin in our lives and put on Christ’s ways and...
Quick Check-In
This is a much shorter activity for self-examination and confession of sin. Set aside at about 30 minutes for this activity. Take some time to pray, asking God to reveal to you the sin in your life and lead you forward in His ways. “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and...
Search Me, O God
A time of self-examination and confession The following activity is a more in-depth examination of self, and a time of confession and prayer based on 1 John. You will need to set aside at least an hour for this activity, if not more. Committing the Time to God “Search me, O God, and know my...
Prayers of the Saints
Use the prayers of those who have gone before us to help prompt and inspire prayer. In addition to the prayers quoted below, there are also very good books that compile prayers and liturgies. Two possibilities include: The Valley of Vision edited by Arthur Bennett, and Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey. Some devotional...
Prayers in Scripture
Outside the Psalms there are many examples of God’s sons and daughters calling out to him in prayer. These can fuel and guide our prayers for ourselves or for others. Below are a few examples of prayers in Scripture — and there are many more! Choose a prayer that relates to how you would like...
Praying the Psalms
The Psalms are a rich treasure for our times of prayer and communion with God. In them, we find the psalmists calling out to God in the midst of every kind of situation — whether their hearts are joyful, angry, afraid, sorrowful, doubting, discouraged, rejoicing, mourning, troubled, or singing praise. Because of this, the Psalms...
Personal Reflection Questions
Take some time to prayerfully reflect on the following questions and use them to pray through what is currently on your mind and heart.
My Life Backpack
Today, we take time to have a look at what we are “carrying” with us in life. The backpack is a picture to help you bring your whole life before God in prayer. Before beginning your retreat time, please print out a full-page hard copy of the backpack using the PDF below, so you can...