These short prayers are written for a women’s retreat, whether you are the one leading the gathering, one of the women attending, or a friend asking God to meet the group. Pray the main prayer at the opening session, before a small group meets, or at the close of the day, when the room has gone quiet. You can read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak in your own words.
Short Prayers for a Women’s Retreat
Lord, thank you for drawing us away from our busy kitchens, inboxes and carpools to sit with you for a few days. Many of us came tired, carrying things we have not yet said out loud to anyone. Some of us are grieving, some are waiting on a decision, and some simply feel that we have been giving ourselves away for years with very little left over. Meet each woman here exactly where she is, and let this time be more than a change of scenery.
Open our ears to hear you above the noise of our own thoughts. Give us honest hearts with each other, so that we can laugh together, cry together and pray for one another without pretending to be fine. Help us rest without guilt, eat without rushing, and listen without needing to fix everything in the room. Let each conversation point us back to you, and let us leave lighter than we arrived. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Father, we are glad to be here and we need you. Quiet the worries that keep crowding in, and make room for your presence in this place. Give us courage to speak honestly and kindness to hear each other well. Let rest find us, and let us go home knowing we were met by you. 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 verse slowly, pausing between each phrase. Ask God to slow your racing mind and to help the women around you find a stillness that is not forced but received.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
(WEB)
Read this passage aloud as an invitation spoken to your own weary heart. Name specifically what you are tired of carrying, and ask Jesus to take the weight of it.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
(WEB)
Use this verse as a guide for how you treat one another during the retreat. Ask God to make you quick to celebrate with the joyful and patient with those who are hurting.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
(WEB)
Bring this promise to mind when you feel depleted by the weekend’s demands. Ask the Lord to renew your strength in the ordinary ways you will need it once you return home.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
(WEB)
Pray this passage over the anxieties you brought with you, turning each one into a specific request. Ask for the peace that guards the heart, even while some questions remain unanswered.
How to Pray This Prayer
If you are leading the retreat, pray the main prayer at the start of the first session, while the women still have their coffee in hand and before the schedule takes over. Invite each woman to close her eyes or look down, and pause for a few breaths after the final word. Consider printing the prayer on a card so that everyone can hold something in their hands.
If you are attending, try praying the shorter version in the car, on a walk between sessions, or in your room before bed. It also helps to write one sentence of your own at the bottom of the card, naming what you most want God to do this weekend. You might also ask another woman to pray the prayer with you, so that each of you hears someone else speak your concerns to the Lord.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord go before each woman who gathered here and walk beside her on the road home. May he steady her heart, strengthen her hands for the work ahead, and keep her held in his peace. May the friendships formed in this place bear fruit in love for many years to come.
