The Prayer of Examen

In Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV) King David writes these words; “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!” Eugene Peterson in the Message captures these words of King David in this way, “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.” I’ve often been challenged by these very words in just about every season of my life. He offers this prayer following some of the most beautiful writing in all of scripture about the depths that we are known by God. There is a beauty to his prayer, a depth to his prayer, a vulnerability to his prayer, and a curiosity to his prayer that I find deeply inspiring. 

This kind of courage is often missing in my life, and in the lives of others, I interact with. I find myself choosing to pretend that the inner realities of my life are better than they are or ignoring the deep pains of my life altogether. I often find myself moving from moment to moment with little to no regard for how those moments are forming me. All of life is forming us into something but are the realities of our lives forming us in Christ or forming us in something else? Several years ago I began waking up to the lack of intentionality I had with regards to my Spiritual Formation. I was mostly reactive to the circumstances and interactions around me, paying little attention to How those things and people were a part of my journey of becoming who I was becoming. I lacked the capacity to be receptive to what God was doing in the normal day-to-day realities of my life and I desired to grow in my capacity to receive all of life as an invitation from God. The good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly.

I was drawn again and again to Psalm 138:23-24 and David’s prayer. I begin researching ways Christians have historically viewed this prayer and also practiced it in the realities of their lives. In this research, I was introduced to St. Ignatius of Loyola. St Ignatius was a Spanish Priest and Theologian from the Roman Catholic tradition and was the founder of the “Society of Jesus” which we know more commonly as the Jesuit Order. Xavier University here in Cincinnati is connected to the Jesuit Order. His vision for the Jesuit’s would be that they would be an order of both teaching and missionary service and this informed the way he went about his work not just desiring that people would practice the Spiritual Disciplines for the sake of internal spirituality but that the internal work of the Spirit would manifest in acts of service in the world around them. Ignatius paid specific attention to the Spiritual Formation of those within the Jesuit Order and documented his practices in his book, “Spiritual Exercises” completed in 1548.

One of the exercises contained within this book was The Prayer of Examen. The Prayer of Examen according to St Ignatius would help Christians develop discipline, grow awareness of God’s grace and pay attention to the Spirit’s work among us and in us in the day-to-day realities of our lives. St Ignatius began forming The Prayer of Examen during a pivotal and deeply painful time during his life. In 1521 St. Ignatius suffered the shattering of his leg by a cannonball during the Battle of Pamplona. He never received successful medical care that allowed for the full healing of His leg, but that didn’t slow him down, and shortly after he continued on in his missionary work. He began a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to continue his learning and got stuck in Montserrat, Spain where he ended up spending a year of his life living in a cave. It was during his time living in this cave that he began writing his book “Spiritual Exercises” which contained the Prayer of Examen.

For me the prayer of Examen has been a helpful discipline that helps me pay attention to the Spirit’s work in the often mundane realities of my everyday life. It slows me down and invites me to be reflective regarding the circumstances and interactions of my day. Historically, I have been the type of person who moves fast and moves on faster but is that what truly is best? Sure, we may miss out on some painful realities by living our lives at such a pace that we don’t have to pause to think about anything, but we also miss out on the beautiful ways God is inviting us to see Him, see us, see others, and see the world from His perspective. For me, The Prayer of Examen, or my version of it, has provided the means for me to grow less reactive to the realities of life around me and within me, and more receptive to what the Holy Spirit is doing through them. The Prayer of Examen has been a way that the Spirit is using to ground me in what is real and what is true. It anchors me in God’s presence in the here and now, not in some romanticized version of the past or some idealized version of the future. In moments of such uncertainty as we find ourselves in, I need this grounding, we need this grounding. 

I’ll include some of my processes for the Prayer of Examen below, but don’t read this as a prescription. I encourage you to spend some time in Psalms 139 considering how the Lord may be inviting you into a regular practice of a similar prayer. For me, it makes sense to end my day with The Prayer of Examen, for others I’ve heard that it makes sense for them to include this in the morning times with Jesus. Don’t get so lost in the specifics that you can’t show up fully present to the practice. It’s less important that you do it “the right” way than it is to show up and do it in the first place. This practice has been such a gift for me on my journey from reactivity to receptivity. I’m more aware of the presence of God in the mundane realities of my life than I have ever been. I’m paying attention to the ways God is working in the world, in me, and in the others with whom I regularly interact. Slowing down, and examining my days have played a huge role in this growth and I believe it can do the same for you!

Prayer of Examen Movements

Contemplation 

This movement is mostly about slowing down and paying attention to the presence of God. It often includes silent prayer that could include a breath prayer on the breath out but often is mostly just being with the Lord in silence for a few minutes contemplating His presence with me. Often I imagine being held by them and the safety I have in His presence. This often includes ways I’m grateful for the Lord’s presence and work in my life during the circumstances and interactions of the day. This invites me to be vulnerable with Him about my day and receptive to what His searching of my heart brings to the surface. 

Curiosity  

During this movement, I want to be curiously reflective about the interactions and events of the day. I often ask myself some questions which include: What happened today? What interactions did I have? Which one’s felt easy, which felt difficult? Why did I respond the way I did to so and so? Why did I feel this way when so and so said what they said or did what they did? Am I unusually tired, and why? With whom did I find it easy to be present? With whom did I find it difficult to be present? What am I thankful for? What limits did I press up against? What loss did I incur today? In what moments did I feel safe and in what moments did I not feel safe?

Obviously, I don’t run through the entire list like this each and every day but I do spend some time reflecting upon the events of the day and being curious about them. 

Confrontation 

During this movement is where I challenge my perceptions a bit. I consider where I received pushback or rebuke internally from the Spirit and also externally from others. Are my interpretations of my day and interactions true?  What presumptions or assumptions did I make? What narrative scripts am I believing about myself or others that may not be true? How did my quickness to judgments hinder me from being curious? How did my past experiences help me or hinder me from being present in the moments of my day? What sins did I commit? Who do I need to repent to? Was I the truest version of myself in Christ or was I pretending to be someone or something that I am not? 

Again I may not run through the entirety of my list but I do spend some time confronting some false realities, and the self-protective strategies I was aware I was holding on to throughout the day. 

Confession 

During this movement I confess my sin, I confess my need for Jesus and His availability to me. I remind myself of what is true and confess the lies that I believed throughout the day. I have regular confessions that I offer, like this one: “ I am known by You, I am heard by You, I am loved by You and I am held by You, therefore I am safe in You Christ.” Another regular one for me is this: “In Christ, I am beloved by You and You are pleased with me”. During this time I assess whom else I may need to apologize to and repent to, and I confess my intention to do so. 

Consecration 

During this movement, I rest in Christ’s availability to me. I remind myself that I am not what I do and that His love for me has nothing to do with my performance for Him. I ask Him to be present with me in whatever Invitations he made me during this Prayer of Examen. I invite his strength and consecrate the work of my hands and mind throughout the day to Him. I often include some time in silence, being with the Lord during this movement. What strength am I surrendering to Him? What weakness am I surrendering to Him? This movement is about surrendering my will for His. 

Where I often begin with David’s prayer in Psalm 139:23-24 I often end with St. Ignatius of Loyola’s prayer of Surrender.

“Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding,

and my entire will,

All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.

To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace,

that is enough for me.”

Submitted By: Matthew Korte