The Prayer of Examen
It can help us intentionally pause for a brief time to examine our day with the hope of perceiving how God was present.
One of my favorite ways to wind down the day is by looking back on the past fourteen hours or so and reflecting on the different things that transpired. I do this to increase my gratitude to God for another day He has given and to discern ways to continually grow in following Christ. Some people refer to this practice of reflecting on one's day as the prayer of examen. This spiritual exercise is often attributed to Ignatius of Loyola, a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, who practiced it and taught it to others.
It's so easy to go through our days without much of a thought to the various things that transpired in them. We can succumb to "going through the motions" day after day with no pause for reflection. It's also very easy to overlook the presence of God throughout the day. God has been and will always be with us. We just might not notice it. The prayer of examen can help us intentionally pause for a brief time to examine our day with the hope of perceiving how God was present. It can also help us discern what God may be revealing to us now and for the future. This will hopefully help us be more grateful for each day that's given, help us see the movement of God in our lives, help us change to be more like Christ, and help us discern how God is leading us into the future.
In practicing the prayer of examen, I usually start off by reviewing my day. I look back at the different activities that transpired. I recall each one with a heart of gratitude. There might be an event where I'll spend a little more time reflecting on, like a conversation with a friend or a problem I encountered that really bugged me. As I examine my day, I'll try to discern where God was present. I want to notice how God was with me and guiding me to where I need to go and what I need to do. I'll also consider how I responded to various situations that popped up. I may have responded to those situations in a godly way or an ungodly way. If I responded in a God-honoring way, I want to remember that and continue doing it. If I responded in an ungodly way, I want to find ways to grow my character and behavior. A key step in growing our spirituality is noticing how we haven't responded to situations in Christ-like ways. We can then consider how we might do things differently in the future.
If we practice the prayer of examen on a regular basis, it can potentially help us live more gratefully, help us become more aware of God's presence, and help us grow in our faith by bringing to light the things we need to work on so we can live for Christ better each and every day.
Barnabas the Monastic
Servant of Christ. Husband. Dad. Modern Monastic. I have a wild ambition in life: get as close to the Lord Jesus Christ as I can while on earth. I explore and integrate ancient Christian monk wisdom in modern everyday life. Lives in Canada.
