Prayer of Examen Tool
Written by Brayden Brookshier
Prayer as a Tool
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491 –1556 A.D.) was a devout Christ-follower who made a significant impact on the world through the education of the less fortunate and the care for the poor. But perhaps he became most famous for his spiritual leadership. He insisted on finding the goodness of God in all things.
Here is what he wrote on one occasion:
“All the things in this world are gifts of God, created for us, to be the means by which we can come to know him better, love him more surely, and serve him more faithfully. As a result, we ought to appreciate and use these gifts of God insofar as they help us toward our goal of loving service and union with God. But insofar as any created things hinder our progress toward our goal, we ought to let them go.”
Ignatius believed that prayer could be a tool that could help us see God’s guidance in our lives, leading us into greater union with Him and greater service to the world around us. Thus, one of Ignatius’s most enduring imprints on Church history is the prayer tool known as the “Prayer of Examen.” Traditionally, the Examen is meant to take into account the past 24 hours and make them into a conversational reflection with God. Here are several key purposes:
- To become more aware of God's presence in daily life.
- To reflect on one's experiences and emotions throughout the day.
- To detect God's guidance and discern His direction.
- To express gratitude for the gifts and opportunities of each day.
- To review one's actions, thoughts, and responses to situations.
- To identify areas for spiritual growth and improvement.
- To prepare for the challenges and opportunities of the coming day.
The Prayer of Examen is designed to help individuals develop a deeper connection with God through self-reflection and heightened awareness. It encourages practitioners to see God's hand at work in their everyday experiences and to align their lives more closely with His will.
Praying the Examen typically takes something like 10–20 minutes of time and should both not be too quick (different from a two minute pause) or too long (whereas other kinds of prayer are better to linger for prolonged periods of time).
Let’s step into the wild, uncharted territory of your soul—the place where God is already moving, inviting you to wake up, to notice, to grow. The Prayer of Examen is not just a ritual, it’s an adventure with God through the landscape of your day. Here’s how you can make each step memorable, using alliteration to anchor each movement in your heart.
STEP 1: Respond to God’s invitation to slow down and draw near to Him.
He is ever-present. In this step, we recognize His presence and become present to Him.
STEP 2: Reflect on the past 24 hours with a non-judgmental and compassionate attitude toward self.
Imagine sitting next to Jesus by a stream, watching the events float by like leaves being carried by the water. You are observing the events and moments. Take note of what sticks out to you: both those that you perceive as negative and positive. How did you sense God’s nearness throughout the day? Where did you miss God or an opportunity God presented to you? Do not be harsh with yourself. Simply be honest. Notice your emotions, reactions, and responses. This should be enlightening and conversational with God.
STEP 3: Receive forgiveness where needed and express gratitude where granted.
Take your reflection of the past 24 hours a step further. You’ll notice the Holy Spirit draw you to confession and repentance from certain events that transpired. This is also a moment to release personal guilt or burdens. Aim to allow the exchange to take place as you release restlessness and receive His peace in its place. Also, this phase equally involves giving thanks and expressing gratitude for the parts of the day that were gifts to be appreciated, no matter how big or small.
STEP 4: Request God’s transformative power to prepare you for the next day.
Here you can freely pray for yourself or others as your examination has brought petitions to the surface of your attention. Keep these brief, yet pray with bold confidence–knowing that each petition is being handed off to Him and trusting He will do something with it!
STEP 5: Remain attentive to God’s nearness.
Try to relish the connection with God fostered through this practice. Don’t rush away, but linger and enjoy the communion you have with God in Christ. As you transition into the rest of the day, remain attentive to God’s presence and leading. Believe the truth that God is going with you beyond this sacred moment!
The Prayer of Examen
If the prayer of Examen is new to you, try it with the five movements (the five “R’s”) as they are suggested above. However, as you incorporate this practice into your arsenal of prayer tools, please don’t let the form get in the way of the purpose!
The purpose is to connect with God by making the past 24 hours the conversation topic in prayer.
Modify this prayer practice. Create your own iteration while maintaining the intent and key components of it (for example, we highly encourage you to keep forgiveness and thanksgiving as part of your reflection!).
Try This
Using the five “R’s,” take 10–20 minutes to pray the Examen, noting any key thoughts in your own prayer journal.
Discuss
- Reflect on the practice. How was your experience? Was it cathartic? Difficult? Relieving? Or Frustrating? There are no right or wrong answers. This is a chance to simply be honest with yourself about how this form of prayer facilitates greater awareness of your life and your life with God!
- Does this practice seem more helpful for you in the morning or evening? Why?
- How can this practice help you discern patterns in your life and perhaps where you need God’s guidance or power?