May Practice: The Examen (Reimagined)
reviewing and refreshing the prayer that helps us see God as we look back on our lives...
If you’ve been around awhile, you might remember that I’ve previously introduced The prayer of Examen as a monthly practice.
I’m bringing it back as we dive deeper into the theme of expanding our vision and noticing God’s presence in every bit of our lives. It’s certainly the most useful practice that I know as we look for God in our lives. But, as I’ve grown in familiarity with this practice and lived more life with God, my relationship with this particular prayer has changed.
I’ve begun to use it a bit differently and today I’ll be sharing the new “steps” I use to look back on a stretch of time (a month, a week, a day, a morning) to see God’s presence and my response to Him.
In recent days I’ve realized something about where and how I’m looking for God. I’ve mostly been looking for Him in the obvious “spiritual” ways, in scripture and practices. At church and in Bible studies. For guidance around mission and calling. And I have expectations about how He should show up in those places. And when it doesn’t look like I expect, I assume He’s not there. And I miss Him.
And, because I’m looking so intently at the “big” things and the ways I expect Him to show up, I’m missing Him in the small or unexpected ways. Laughter shared with my daughter, the fragrance of lilacs, an unexpected invitation.
When I used to pray the Examen, I’d reflect back on a period of time looking for God and then notice my response to Him. But if I’m only looking for Him in the ways I expect to see Him, I risk missing Him. If I’m only looking for Him in scripture or as I discern a vocational step or in prayer, I risk missing Him in my everyday joy and sadness and pain and longings.
So now, I’m reflecting on my days looking for my internal movements: a strong emotion, a desire, a hope, a fear. And then, I look for God in that. Where was He? What did He want me to know? What is He doing? How is He loving me in it?
So, let’s try that this month. Let’s look back on our hours, our days, our weeks and notice our internal movements. And let’s get curious about where God was in all of it.
Try these steps:
Take a deep breath and become aware of God’s presence, with you now.
Ask Him to help you reflect back on a period of time (your week, your day, your morning, a meeting or event, etc.)
Search that period of time for internal movement: an emotion, a desire, a pressing thought, something that caught your attention.
Now ask God: where were you or what were you doing in that moment?
Now reflect: how did I respond to God in it? Did I move toward or away from Him? Did I miss Him altogether?
Close in prayer rejoicing in His presence, receiving forgiveness if you’ve missed Him, and asking Him to help you see Him more clearly as you move forward.
I hope these steps help you as you look for God in every moment of your life.
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And may you encounter the God who loves you as you make space in your schedule and your soul!