Key Verse:Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint,” (KJV).

Spiritual retreats are times to turn aside from the world and behold the glory and wonders of God. When Moses saw the burning bush, he said: “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt,” (Exodus 3:3). The words “turn aside” means to retreat seek God. There are times we should pause and turn aside from distractions to seek and hear God. Spiritual retreats are times to ask God tough questions that have been facing you. They are times of refreshing and rejuvenation in God’s presence. They are times to find out hidden things about you and your purpose. Jesus would not begin His earthly ministry without first discovering what was written about Him and His missions in the volume of His Father’s book. It was only after spending time in a most holy retreat in the wilderness for 40 days and without food or water and fighting the devil’s hand down for His destiny that He discovered His life assignment.

Directly returning from this retreat in Luke gospel Chapter 4 verse 18 and 19, Jesus went into the synagogue in Nazareth and read from the book of Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,” (Isaiah 61:1-2).

Spiritual retreat is spiritual system of refreshing the soul intentionally. It is the refilling of yourself spiritually, so that, you can have spiritual energy to run the Heavenly race. Spiritual retreats help to keep our souls full and our spiritual batteries recharged. There are a lot of things in the world that are constantly draining our spiritual batteries. Daily time with God in His word is imperative, but we need more block of time designed to recharge our spiritual batteries. Retreat is a time to refuel.

Jesus goes into a desert place to be alone, to retreat, to be with His Father (Matthew 14:13). During those times when the pressures are mounting and the crowds are pressing, we need to get alone with the Father to refuel. We need to live and minister from the overflow of our lives, which requires extended time with the Father. We can only give if we are also refueling. Spiritual retreat is a time to refocus. Early in the morning, Jesus departs into a solitary place to pray amida demanding ministry schedule (Mark 1:35). It was a time to refocus. Since the demands and decisions of life never stop, we must intentionally spend time with the Father to refocus.

Spiritual retreats should be in a place of seclusion where you are not interrupted. A place of solitude is where you can pray, read, talk, walk, sing, and cry— anything you feel you need to do to connect with God. Locate a place with no distractions from those things that normally get your attention, such as a tech device, person, or favorite food. Put yourself in a distraction-free zone away from texts, emails, social media, and phone calls. Solitude is a choice because we live in a noisy and busy world. On a consistent basis, we must choose to unplug from the noise and intentionally position ourselves where we can “silently wait for God,” (Psalm 61:1-2).

• Today’s nugget: Solitude is a choice. Prayer: Lord help me to wait silently for you. Prayer lines: 08033299824.E-mail: [email protected]. Rev. Abel UkachiAmadi, General Superintendent, Assemblies of God Nigeria