Practicing The Prayer of Examen
St. Ignatius of Loyola had an “end of day” way of praying. I find making time to pray challenging and have tried this way to provide inspiration and discipline and have found it helpful.
Maybe it’ll help you?
1.REVIEW THE DAY WITH GRATITUDE. This is central. Consider your day. What am I grateful to God for?
- Think about the people I talked with. Where did I show grace?
- Were there times when I felt connected to God?
- What happened that brought me joy? Were there times that “drained” me? Notice these. It may help to ask these questions and pray:
For what/who am I most grateful?
For what/who was I least grateful?
Where in my day did I show God’s love and heart to others?
What do I need to be thankful for?
What do I need to repent of?
What action, attitude, or mindset should I try to repeat intentionally?
Is there anything, or a relationship with anyone, where I need to take a step toward restoration?
2. RECALL AND RENEW. God is grace. Grace is a gift beyond our understanding. Thank God for this in the midst of your own failings. Dwell on the moments of joy in your day.
With tomorrow in mind, ask God to keep you mindful of His presence.
John Evans
