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Spiritual Retreat Duration

Duration of the Spiritual Retreat

One of the obstacles facing an individual is the duration of time he can spend in his quiet spiritual session. One’s conscience may be bothered because he did not spend enough time. 

Therefore, we would like to point out an important fact:  such quiet sessions are not measured merely by their length or duration but by how it is spent – the quality of the time. 

So, it is not crucial how much time is spent but the question is: were you able to connect with God? Were you actually in God’s presence and did you hear His voice?  Did you recognize His will for you today? Did you converse with Him as if face to face as Moses did? The Holy Bible mentions: “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” (Exodus33:11)

Therefore, one can gradually increase the time with God; starting with a few minutes and then increasing it to as much as God’s love grows within the heart.


Here is a suggested schedule for a quiet spiritual session.  It begins with a duration of ten minutes, another for 30 minutes, and a third session lasting for one hour.  This should serve as a template and you may use it to guide you as you customize your own schedule.

1st: Ten Minute Session


The preparation of the heart– 1 minute
Verse contemplation - 5 minutes
Prayer - 4 minutes

2nd: 30 Minute Session


The preparation of the heart / Use of spiritual songs – 5 minutes
Verse contemplation – 10 minutes
Prayer – 15 minutes

3rd: One hour session


The preparation of the heart / Use Self-examining measures – 15 Minutes
Verse contemplation – 15 minutes
Prayer / Detailed prayer – 30 minutes