Prep Work

I believe you will begin to sense the Holy Spirit moving in your heart and life over the next three weeks as you give yourself to working through this prep work. The groundwork you lay during this time will position you to discover the truth, freedom, and power of the Holy Spirit in a new way on your retreat.

Prep Work

  • Holy Spirit Encounter key verses

  • Memory Verses

  • Getting ready to unplug from electronics

  • Special letter

The four areas of prep work are broken out in more detail below, with instructions included within each area. Please begin all of your prep work no later than twenty-one days before arriving at the Holy Spirit Encounter.

Holy Spirit Encounter - Key Verses

12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. John 16:12-15 NKJV

These key verses have some insights you need to understand to get the greatest personal benefit out of your retreat. Read these verses once a day for 21 days.

Verse 12 says: "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

Insight: The Lord is talking to His disciples and unveiling an insight to them: He has many things to say to them, but they can’t receive it yet. If His disciples found themselves in this situation, doesn’t it make sense that each of us are also in the same situation? Jesus has things to say to you and me but we’re not able to receive them.

Prayer – Lord, I want to know and hear the things that You can’t say to me now, but I want You to say them to me at the Holy Spirit Encounter.

Verse 13 says: However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

Insight: The insight in this verse is that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will lead us into all truth. I believe that Christ is trying to communicate to us here that it is the Holy Spirit that prepares us to hear the things that Christ wants to say to us.

Prayer – Holy Spirit please prepare me and get me ready to hear the things that Christ wants to say to me when I am at the Holy Spirit Encounter.

Verses 14 and 15 tell us that Christ has things that are the Father’s & are His and the Holy Spirit receives those things from the Lord and releases them to us.

Prayer – Holy Spirit prepare me and help me to receive everything the Lord has for me at the retreat.

Memory verses

Please take the three weeks before your Holy Spirit Encounter to memorize these verses so you can recite them from memory at the retreat.

Memory verse #1: Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?

Memory verse #2: Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Memory verse #3: John 16:7

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

Memory verse #4: John 14:15-18


15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

Getting ready to unplug from electronics

While you’re at the Holy Spirit Encounter, we are asking for no usage of electronic devices. To help you prepare, we recommend that during the 21 days before the retreat you begin to cut back on the usage of your electronic devices. The majority of the time while you are on this retreat you will spend time alone with the Holy Spirit, so you can create the opportunity to hear Him. Electronic devices can be a distraction in our lives and may keep us from spending time with the Holy Spirit.

Phones: We are asking people to unplug from their phones while on the retreat, but we understand that situations arise where you need to check in with family. We prefer you do that early in the morning before we begin the day or in the evening right before you go to bed. Please refrain from texting or calling during Holy Spirit Time or Group Time to eliminate distractions for yourself and other attendees.

Music: we are asking for you to unplug from all music. Again, the majority of the time while you are on this retreat you will spend time alone with the Holy Spirit, so you can create the opportunity to hear Him. Music is an amazing gift that God has given us, and it can enrich our emotions, our spirit & our minds. This is not a retreat to be in the presence of God only, it is a retreat to get connected with the Holy Spirit. When you get connected with the Holy Spirit you will experience His presence at a new level.

Social Media: We are asking you to completely unplug from social media. I challenge you to set some time aside to create an opportunity to get connected with the Holy Spirit; and when that happens, you will never be the same.

Special letter

Directions for Letter: We are asking you to pick one or more individuals - a spouse, parent, good friend, sibling, mentor, or spiritual leader - and ask them to write you a letter for this retreat. Let them know you are going on a retreat and this is part of the experience. Provide them with an envelope that has your name on the outside and ask them to give the letter to you before you leave for your Holy Spirit Encounter.

Focus of Letter: Ask the person(s) of your choice to write their thoughts on the talents and giftings they see in your life. How do they think a deeper understanding and more intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, combined with the talents or giftings they see in your life would look? What do they hope you’ll get out of the Holy Spirit Encounter and why?

Below is a short invitation with instructions that you may write out and give to the person(s) of your choosing, along with the envelope with your name on the outside.

Invitation with instructions for the person(s) writing your letter

Dear

I am participating in a Holy Spirit Encounter Retreat and as part of the retreat experience I have been asked to pick someone in my life to write me a special letter. In this letter please write your thoughts on how you think my life might be if I were living and walking in a deeper understanding of and relationship with the Holy Spirit. How do you think this deeper understanding and relationship combined with the talents or giftings you see in my life would look? What do you hope I will get out of the Holy Spirit Encounter and why? Please seal your letter in the envelope I have provided and return it to me.

Thank you for taking the time to speak into my life through this letter.