If you are planning or attending a women’s retreat, this list gives you Scripture that fits the weekend’s rhythms: arriving tired, sharing honestly, sitting in quiet and going home with something to hold onto. The verses are grouped by moment so you can choose what fits the session you are leading or the season you are in. What they share is a picture of God who welcomes weary people, speaks plainly about who we are, and keeps working in us after the event ends.
Verses for Arriving Tired and Ready to Rest
Most women arrive at a retreat carrying a week’s worth of noise, lists and unspoken worries. These verses speak to the moment you finally set down your bag and let the quiet begin.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Jesus speaks this invitation to people who are worn out, not to those who have it together. Before the first session, take a few minutes alone and tell him specifically what you are carrying into the weekend.
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.”
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The psalmist calls for stillness in the middle of a loud and frightening world. Try sitting in silence for five minutes during the first free hour, letting the psalm’s call to be still interrupt your urge to fill every gap.
Psalm 23:1-3
1 The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
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David describes a shepherd who leads sheep to green pasture and quiet water, not one who drives them hard. Notice one thing in the retreat space that feels restful, such as a window or a cup of tea, and thank God for it in the moment.
Verses for Honest Conversation and Shared Burdens
A retreat often brings women together who did not know each other well before. These verses speak to the vulnerability of sharing real stories and the strength that comes from carrying one another’s load.
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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Paul writes about bearing one another’s burdens as a practical act, not a sentiment. In your small group, ask one question that invites someone to name what is heavy right now, and then listen without rushing to fix it.
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.
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The writer observes that two people working together gain more than one alone, and that help is there when someone falls. Before leaving, make a plan to text or call one woman you met this weekend so the friendship continues at home.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
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Paul asks believers to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Watch for the moment when another woman shares good news or grief, and respond with the kind of presence that matches her feeling rather than your own comfort.
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
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Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another through honest contact. Choose one woman from your group who asks good questions, and ask her to pray for a specific area where you want to grow.
Verses for Courage to Hear God and Change
Retreats are often where God speaks clearly through a sermon, a journal prompt or a quiet moment. These verses encourage you to listen, trust and respond when you sense his direction.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the LORD, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
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God speaks to exiles who felt their lives were on hold, promising a future and a hope. When you feel stuck, write this verse on a card and place it where you will see it on Monday morning.
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.
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Isaiah describes strength renewed for those who wait on the Lord, using images of eagles rising and runners who do not grow weary. Spend some time after the last session thinking about one area where you have been running on your own strength.
Psalm 139:23-24
23 Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. 24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
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The psalmist invites God to search his heart and show any hurtful way. Use these two verses as the prayer you pray in your journal on the final morning, asking God to show you the one thing you need to face.
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.
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Paul moves from anxiety to prayer and then to the peace that guards the heart. If the weekend has stirred worry about home, bring each concern to God in a short list and leave the list with him before you pack.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
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In a book full of grief, the writer remembers that God’s mercies are new every morning. Read these verses on the drive home, and let them be a reminder that tomorrow’s mercy is already prepared.
How to Use These Verses
Write three or four of these verses on index cards before the retreat begins, and keep them in your bag or Bible. Read one card each morning while you drink your coffee, and carry the others into the sessions so you can glance at them when a talk touches something tender.
After the retreat, go back to the verses you marked most strongly and pray them slowly, one each day for a week. Pray the verse as a request, a confession or a thank-you, and notice what changes in your rhythm at home.
A Short Prayer for a Women’s Retreat
Lord, thank you for drawing us aside to rest and listen. Some of us arrived exhausted, and some of us came with questions we have not said out loud. Meet us in the quiet and in the conversations, and give us courage to be honest with you and with one another. Show us what you want us to carry home, and help us remember it when the noise returns. Strengthen the friendships we have started here, and let them grow into mutual care that lasts beyond this weekend. Amen.
