This list gives men preparing for or attending a retreat a set of Scripture passages and a prayer to carry through the weekend. It is written for men who want to arrive ready to listen, to be honest with other men, and to leave with something solid rather than a good feeling. Each group of verses speaks to a different part of the retreat, from the drive up to the closing circle.
Verses for the Drive Up and Arriving Well
Most men walk into a retreat carrying the week with them: unfinished work, strained marriages, a phone that will not stop buzzing. These verses ask God to meet you before the first session begins, and they remind you that you do not have to prove yourself at the door.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10 (WEB)
Psalm 46:10
Stillness is hard for most men, and this verse invites you to stop managing things for a moment. Try sitting in the parking lot for two minutes before you go in and simply breathe, letting the noise of the week settle before you step into the group.
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.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (WEB)
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus speaks to people who are worn out from carrying too much, and he offers rest rather than a longer list. Name one burden you brought with you this weekend, then consciously hand it over before you unpack your bag.
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.
Isaiah 40:31 (WEB)
Isaiah 40:31
Strength in this passage comes from waiting on the Lord, not from pushing harder. When the weekend schedule feels relentless, pause between sessions and ask God to renew your energy rather than relying on coffee alone.
Verses for Honest Conversation with Other Men
A retreat succeeds or fails on the quality of its conversations. The passages in this group speak to speaking truthfully, listening patiently and admitting when you are struggling. They are chosen for the small group table, the walk after lunch and the late talk by the fire.
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
Proverbs 27:17 (WEB)
Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpens iron through friction, and that friction can feel uncomfortable on a retreat. Expect that some of what you hear will challenge you, and decide ahead of time to receive correction as a gift from a brother rather than an attack on your character.
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.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (WEB)
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
The writer observes that two people accomplish more than one, and that a fallen man needs someone to lift him up. Look for the man sitting alone at meals and make space for him, since you may be the one who helps him get back up.
Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
James 5:16 (WEB)
James 5:16
Confession and prayer belong together, and this verse ties healing to honesty before others. Choose one thing you would normally keep hidden and share it in a small group, trusting that the men around you can hold it with grace.
Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29 (WEB)
Ephesians 4:29
Paul asks that our words build others up, which is a high standard when tired men are talking late into the night. Before you speak in a group, ask whether what you are about to say will encourage the man listening or only win the point.
Verses for Repentance, Renewal and Going Home
Retreats often end with a sense that something has shifted, and that shift is easy to lose on Monday morning. These verses look at turning back to God, receiving forgiveness and carrying a changed heart into ordinary life with your family, your work and your church.
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10 (WEB)
Psalm 51:10
David asks God for a clean heart and a steady spirit, not just a clean record. Use this verse as a daily prayer in the weeks after the retreat, naming the specific places where you want God to renew your motives.
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.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (WEB)
Lamentations 3:22-23
The writer finds fresh hope in the Lord’s faithful love, which is renewed each morning even after a painful season. If you feel discouraged on the drive home, remember that God’s mercies are not used up by yesterday’s failures.
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (WEB)
Romans 12:2
Transformation comes through a renewed mind, not only through a memorable weekend. Choose one habit from the retreat, such as a daily quiet time or a weekly call with a brother, and schedule it into your calendar before you leave the parking lot.
If it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
Joshua 24:15 (WEB)
Joshua 24:15
Joshua calls the people to decide whom they will serve, and he speaks for his own household as well. Before you go home, state your decision in front of God and, if possible, tell one other man who will ask you about it later.
Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.
Galatians 6:9 (WEB)
Galatians 6:9
Paul reminds believers not to grow weary in doing good, since a harvest comes in its season. Expect the first weeks at home to feel ordinary, and keep showing up for your family and your brothers anyway.
How to Use These Verses
Write three or four of these verses on an index card before the retreat and keep it in your Bible or wallet. Read the card in the morning before the first session, at lunch and before bed, so the words accompany you through the weekend rather than sitting unread in a notebook.
Pray the verses back to God rather than only reading them. Turn Psalm 51:10 into a sentence you say aloud on the walk, or take Matthew 11:28-30 and name each burden by name. Share one verse with a man in your group and ask him what it means to him, since hearing another man’s answer often unlocks something you missed alone.
A Short Prayer for a Men’s Retreat
Lord, I come to this retreat tired, distracted and not sure what I need most. Quiet the noise in my head so I can hear you above the schedule and the expectations. Give me the humility to listen to the men beside me, and the courage to tell the truth about where I am struggling. Show me the brother who is quietly carrying something heavy, and help me reach toward him. When the weekend ends, do not let me go home unchanged, but shape my heart so that my family, my work and my church see your faithfulness in the way I live. Thank you that you meet me here as I am. Amen.
A Blessing
May the Lord go before you on the road and sit with you in every session. May he make your brothers a source of strength and your conversations a means of grace. And may the peace of God guard your heart as you return to your home, your work and your calling. Amen.
