These short prayers are written for men gathering for a retreat, whether it is a weekend away, a day of silence, or a camp with a few hundred other guys. Pray them at the opening session, before a meal, at a campfire, or as you settle into your cabin for the night. Read them aloud exactly as written, or use them as a starting point and speak in your own words.
Short Prayers for a Men’s Retreat
Lord, we came here carrying a lot. Some of us are tired from work and family, some of us are quietly worried about a marriage, a child, a job, or a diagnosis we have not told anyone about. Some of us came because a friend asked us, and we are not sure yet what we are doing here. Meet each man where he actually is, not where he thinks he should be.
Help us put our phones down and our guard down. Teach us to listen more than we talk, and to speak honestly when we do. Make us men who can say “I need help” without shame, and men who can hear another man’s struggle without rushing to fix it. Let this weekend loosen what has grown stiff in us, and let us leave lighter than we arrived. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Father, we are here, and we are not in control of this weekend. Quiet the noise in our heads. Give us honest hearts, steady hands, and ears that will hear you and the brother beside us. Be among us as we eat, walk, talk, and sit in silence together. Keep us humble and keep us brave. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
(WEB)
Pray this slowly at the start of the retreat, especially if your mind is still racing from the drive. Ask God to make you still enough to notice what he is doing among the men gathered with you.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
(WEB)
Use this passage to thank God for the men in the room who will help you up when you fall. Ask him to show you where you can be that kind of friend to someone else this weekend.
James 1:19
So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger…
(WEB)
Bring this verse into the group discussions and the hard conversations. Pray that God would slow your tongue and quicken your willingness to listen to the man who is speaking.
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
(WEB)
Pray this for the burdens men carry quietly, including your own. Ask God to show you one specific weight another man may be bearing and how you might help lift it.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
(WEB)
Return to this verse when you feel worn out or ashamed of your weakness. Offer God your exhaustion honestly and ask him to give you rest that goes deeper than a good night’s sleep.
How to Pray This Prayer
Pray the longer prayer at the opening session or at the first evening meal, when everyone has arrived and the group is still finding its footing. If you are leading, invite the other men to bow their heads and let silence hold the space for a few breaths before you begin. Keep your hands open on your knees or around a warm mug, which helps the words slow down.
Use the shorter version when you feel the day tilt toward anxiety, such as before a hard talk, a hike, or a session where you will be asked to share. You can also pray it quietly on your own during a walk. If someone in the group is struggling, ask him whether he would like the group to pray for him, and then lay a hand on his shoulder while one man reads the prayer aloud.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord go before each man here and walk beside him on the road home. May he keep your hearts steady, your families close to your thoughts, and your courage strong when you return to ordinary days. May the peace of God guard each heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
