Examen-ing Prayer - Instructions to guide you into the habit of Spirit-led analysis of our true condition.

Preparation: 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 10-15 minutes at the end of the day, a journal, and a pen.

WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT: Remember that “examen” is a Latin word that refers to the weight indicator on a balance scale, conveying the idea of an accurate assessment of the true situation. This spiritual habit is designed to help you live up to the measure of what is most true about you: that you are a child of God, in the continual care of our Father.  This is NOT a self-examination, but a practice of learning to see clearly (Luke 6:39-42) by exercising your Spirit imparted mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:1-16). The habit will not necessarily be easy or comfortable at first. But remember, that you are participating in transformation so that like the psalmist you too might with joy and excitement ask, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Ps. 139)

Practice:

Central to the condition of our humanity is the awareness that God knows us. There is no part of us that God does not know intimately, and no place that we can “flee from his presence.” Yet in our distraction-filled existence, what is most true often becomes blurred with business and anxiousness. To combat this tendency, Saint Ignatius of Loyola developed the “Prayer of Examen” some 500 years ago. This daily exercise is meant to serve as a moment of rebalancing our lives, a dedicated time to remove the log impairing our vision and to respond to the world inside and outside of us with clarity. Similar to Psalm 139, The Prayer of Examen has two basic aspects. “The first is an examen of consciousness through which we discover how God has been present to us throughout the day and how we have responded to his loving presence. The second aspect is an examen of conscience in which we uncover those areas that need cleansing, purifying, and healing.”[1]

The prayer has five “movements,” including a final written reflection. Find a quiet space, where you won’t be disturbed, turn off any distractions, and sit comfortably. Allow yourself to relax and soak in a moment of silence before you begin, taking three deep breaths.

  1. Ask God For Enlightenment. Renew your awareness of God’s presence and loving knowledge of you. Ask our Father for the spiritual discernment needed to review your day with His eyes and not merely your own.

  2. Give Thanks. Recognize the day just past—in its struggles and its joys—as a gift from God, being thankful for God’s ever-present leading.

  3. Review Your Day. Review your day from beginning to end, identifying God’s presence and provision throughout. Take note especially of those encounters and experiences where you were most aware of God’s nearness, most responsive to the Spirit’s leading, most like Jesus in your actions and attitudes, and your soul was most at peace.

  4. Face Your Shortcomings. Ask the Spirit to search your heart and bring to your memory those moments in the day when you were least aware or even ignoring God’s presence, least responsive or out-right rejecting the Spirit’s leading, least like Jesus in your actions and attitudes, and those encounters and experiences when your soul was anxious or unsettled. Remember: you can ask our Father for this self-knowledge with joy, knowing that this is a part of the transformation process to become like Jesus.

  5. Look Forward to Tomorrow. This is where you get to use the journal! Reflecting on your conversation with the Father thus far, and what the Spirit has revealed, write down where you need God tomorrow, what he is inviting you to believe or do, or stop believing and stop doing. Then, recite “the Lord’s Prayer” as your prayer for day yet to come.

[1] Richard Foster, Prayer, 27-28.