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TIP: Examen is a spiritual practice that helps us become aware of when, where, and how God is moving in our lives.
Not only does it help us to notice and attend to God’s presence during complex seasons like transition, it also helps us to see our own hearts, and to attend to how we are responding to God.
The examen of consciousness has 5 components, described below. How you engage with these prompts is up to you. Note that they don't need to be done in chronological order.
1) Give thanks for the good things of the day.
2) Ask God to help you to notice, as you review the day, where he was present, and how you responded.
3) Review the day that has past. You can ask yourself any number of questions as you do this. Examples: What was the high point of my day? The most challenging circumstance? What brought me joy? What negative emotions did I experience? Where did I sense God’s Presence? Where did I experience God’s absence?
4) Respond by sharing your heart, your emotions and feelings, your thoughts, with the Lord. Perhaps you realize you need God's forgiveness, or that you missed an opportunity to love another, or that you have something to celebrate with God, etc.
5) Look ahead and ask yourself how you want to enter tomorrow, given what happened today. What gift, power, grace from the Holy Spirit do you need to apologize to someone you hurt today; to continue forming a new, more helpful habit; or to enter the day more like Jesus in some way? What practical steps can you take?
TIP: The following may enrich your practice of examen:
Drawing, painting, composing music, sculpting, or dancing in response to your prayerful reflections or as prayerful reflections in and of themselves
Regular family examen times (see below)
A cup of tea or coffee in quiet to give yourself time to move internally into prayerful focus
Going on a walk and using the time for your examen
Engaging in different postures of prayer to express yourself to God (see Section 1.1: Spiritual Exercises)
Phone App
Examen Bedtime Routine
(for families)
Sit together and share the best and worst parts of your day with each other. Then, ask Jesus to show each of you where He was in the hard parts of the day. Not only does this help you hear what is going on in your child’s heart, it also begins to teach your child to both hear from and be comforted by God!
TIP: Recording your examen observations over time – via journaling or other means – can help you see trajectories in your life and relationship with God!
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