Fomum - Retreats For Spiritual Progress

FIFTEEN MINUTE RETREATS

(An Except From Retreats For Spiritual Progress )

By

Zacharias Tanee Fomum

Copyright 1986 Z.T. Fomum

Published by

the ePublishing unit of the Book Ministry CMFI

http://www.cmfionline.org

ztfbooks@cmfionline.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

F ifteen minutes is a lot of time! A lot can happen in fifteen minutes. A day of twenty-four hours is ninety-six fifteen minute periods. Those who manage the days most successfully divide the day into the ninety-six fifteen minute periods and labour to take care of each of those periods. By so doing, they take care of hours, days, weeks and years.

Someone may not be able to find time to pray for one hour in a stretch in the morning, afternoon or evening. For others if they found time, they might not know how to use it. Each of these groups of people can use the suggested programme for fifteen minute retreats that are in the following pages and find their prayer life transformed.

There is no one who cannot find fifteen minute periods during his day to go on retreat. We suggest that the fifteen minute periods could be found through many ways including the following:

1. Withdraw into the toilet for fifteen minutes each morning and there have your first fifteen minute retreat.

2. Wake up fifteen minutes earlier and have the time for your retreat.

3. Get to your place of work about twenty minutes before the official time that work starts. Lock your office and have your fifteen minute retreat.

4. Stay in your office for twenty minutes after others have gone and have your fifteen minute retreat.

By having four fifteen minute retreats a day, one has actually spent one hour before God. Many people will find that they accomplish far more in four retreats of fifteen minutes than in one retreat of one hour. The advantage of fifteen minute retreats is that even people who cannot concentrate for long periods are able to concentrate for fifteen minutes and thereby pray effectively. Also, the retreat is over before the person is bored. The person thus looks forward to the next retreat. There is the additional advantage that most believers have enough to talk to the Lord about in fifteen minutes. This solves the problem of people who are confused about what to say to God for a long period of time. Then, even the busiest people have time for this retreat, and children too.

It is hoped that the fifteen minute retreats will help the one who retreats to enjoy the Lord so much that he will find that the fifteen minute period is insufficient for his communion with the Lord and therefore he must go on longer retreats. This is good. It is excellent.

However, there is a command in the Bible (Ephesians 5:16) about making the most of the time (RSV) or redeeming the time (KJV). One way to make the most of the time or to redeem the time is to ensure that the various fifteen minute periods that are often wasted: waiting for a plane or for a visitor or for a meal or for the next programme, are converted into retreat time for the glory of God. This means that even the advanced disciple who may perhaps even go on a one year retreat, will continue to have many fifteen minute retreats in order to redeem the time. The fifteen minutes could be divided into:

One period of fifteen minutes;

Two periods of seven and eight minutes;

Three periods of five minutes;

Five periods of three minutes;

Fifteen periods of one minute.

In the pages following, we have used the fifteen periods of one minute each, since most believers will be able to have enough to talk to the Lord about any topic for one minute, whereas some believers may not have enough to say to the Lord about a topic for three minutes.

Thanksgiving for the night.

Thanksgiving for a new day.

Thanksgiving for the good works pre-planned by the Lord for that day.

Consecration to the Lord.

Receiving the infilling with the Holy Spirit.

Asking for daily bread.

Asking for other basic needs: transportation, and so on.

Placing your body, life, job, finances, feelings, mind and will under the blood of Jesus.

Placing all you love and all that is theirs under the blood of Jesus for protection from the attacks of Satan.

Praying for your job and all that is happening there and will happen there that day.

Further praying for your job.

Praying for the right attitude to all you will meet that day.

Ask to be led to the person you will witness to that day.

Ask that the person to whom you will witness to that day be saved.

Pray for all the appointments you have during the day.

Pray for your family members.

Pray for your friend, friends and all you love.

Pray about your physical appearance: what you will wear and how you will wear it.

Pray about your attitude to time for the day: how to use it; how to redeem it and how to prepare to account for it at the Judgment Seat of the Lord.

Ask the Lord to prepare your heart for all the unexpected events and all the unexpected people who will come your way that day.

Praise the Lord.

Confess any sin committed since morning

Receive the infilling with the Holy Spirit.

Thank God for all that has happened since morning.

Mention specific items and thank Him for answered prayers.

Pray for your assembly.

Pray for your spiritual leader.

Pray for five people who have not yet believed.

Pray for the next five people on your

list who have not yet believed in the Lord.

Pray for five believers.

Pray for five backsliders.

Pray for two organizations (ministries) serving the Lords interest in your country or in any part of the world.