The prayer of examen is a simple form of prayer that allows us to reflect together with God upon our ordinary life.  Together with a spiritual director, or by yourself, we can pay attention, watch for patterns, and discern where God is leading you to life of a life of abundant goodness.  

THE PRAYER OF EXAMEN - IN 5 PARTS

1. Pause: Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4

2. Review Goodness: show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand.  Psalm 17:7

• What was most life-giving to me, LORD?
• When was I in-step with Your Spirit?
• Where was I most connected to You or Your people, LORD?

3. Give Thanks: I will sing the LORD's praise for he has been good to me.  Psalm 13:6

4. Review Brokenness: See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:24

• What was most draining to me, LORD?
• When was I out-of-step with YOUR Spiritu?
• Where was I least connected to You or Your people, God?

5. Ask & Yield: Lead me LORD, in your righteousness. Psalm 5:8

Out of your time in contemplative prayer you will share whatever you feel led to share and that will give shape to our conversation in Spiritual Direction.  

You can watch a video of Jeanine Smith teaching on the Prayer of Examen if that is a good method to learn by.  

“If worship does nothing else for us, it helps us discover the things that are most important.  Real worship will transform your life.” – Warren Wiersbe

For some, following the traditions of the Christian chruch brings life and energy.  The sturcture found in rituals and symbos fo the faith provides substance and epth, particularly in dry times.  Here we may discover a desire to be rooted in something ancient that has survived the centuries.

For others, being encouraged in creative, personal expression leads to an organic connection with God.  The use of all five senses awakens one to the presence of God.  Whether we are drawn to more to tradition or creativity in worship, we are all being drawn by God longs to connect with us.

SCRIPTURE

“Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their king. Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp. For the LORD takes delight in his people” Psalm 149:1-4

“Because there is one loaf, we, who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf” – 1 Corinthians 10:17

EXAMPLES OF TRADITIONAL WORSHIP

• Reading the LORD’s Prayer each week
• Saying the creeds each month
• Singing certain hymns year after year
• Decorating according to the season in the church calendar
• Following Lectionary Readings

EXAMPLES OF CREATIVE WORSHIP

• Participating through lighting a candle
• OR through individually choosing to kneel at the front, dance in the back, raise your hands, etc. 
• Being moved by new art, new music, even a new seating arrangement (these can each teach something new about God
• When the music is loud you feel a part of it, rather than listening from the outside
• Participating in Communion

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

Think of the times you have been deeply moved in worship. What was happening in your life at that time? What was going on in worship? How can you put yourself in places where you most easily connect with God in worship? What are the benefits and the disadvantages of having said something so often that you know it by heart? When you see others celebrating God in a way that is new or foreign to you, what goes on in your mind and heart?  

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Host communion with a friend or family, in person or virtual 
• Light a candle and sing worship songs 
• Paint a picture, write a poem or a song that expresses trust in God

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God.  The world is crowded with Him.  He walks everywhere incognito.” – CS Lewis

Being in nature can remind us of God's beauty, God's design, God's provision, God's power, and more.  There are endless analogies between nature and the spiritual life.  Our appreciation of creation can give way to gratitude for the Creator.

SCRIPTURE

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” Psalm 19:1-2

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

The lilies of the field and the birds of the air spoke to Jesus of God’s care, so how does God speak to you in His creation?  Consider Isaiah 55:12, “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”  Is it strange to imagine worshipping with the trees?  Reflect on Matthew 6:25-34.

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Make a Gratitude List – 5 things a day for 5 days – of things you enjoy from our natural world 
• Do something outside that you don’t normally do – read, eat, pray, exercise. What has changed? 
• Worship outside with the trees.  (Consider “For the Beauty of the Earth” by John Rutter)

Spiritual friendship involves culttivating a covenant friendship where you can naturally share about your life with God.  this friendship encourages and callenges you to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  

TRAITS TO FIND (AND BE) A SPIRITUAL FRIEND 

• Look for a friend who listens well (Be a better question asker than advice giver)
• Look for a friend who encourages you (Look for ways to communicate “I’m here, I’ll stay even if…”)
• Look for a friend who is honest with you even when it may be hard (Speak truth with dignity, compassion, and hope)
• Look for a friend who is humble (Communicate respect for others ideas/perspective and keep a posture of learning)
• Look for a friend who has spiritual wisdom (Continue to grow in your Christian discipleship, striving to follow Jesus more and more faithfully)

FRIENDSHIPS WITH OPPOSITES

Transformation within yourself and a deeper connection with God can come from living obedient to God through pursuing unity and evangelistic witness.

• Unity – living in harmony and peace with fellow believers bringing about God’s kingdom purposes  (”As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” - Romans 12:18)
• Witness – reveal the life-changing love of Jesus to others (“You will be my witnesses” – Jesus in Acts 1:8)

SCRIPTURE

"But Ruth replied, 'Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.'” – Ruth 1:16-17

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

Who do you talk to about your spiritual life?  How have you been a good spiritual friend?  How can you grow in this?  What kind of connections does God want you to have with Christian brothers and sisters?  How does the life you are living reflect the value Christ places on belong to the family of God?  Who have you intentionally given yourself to for the sake of their growth in Christ?  List their names.  Beside each name write what it was like for you to walk with them.  Where were you challenged?  How did you experience God in relationships?  

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Are you in a place with a good spiritual friendship?  Reach out to plug in to small groups or discipleship mentoring.
• Take a faith step and ask a friend to meet (in person or virtually) for prayer.  Or text a prayer request and offer to pray for someone. Or choose one person, upon reflection, and risk asking them to meet more regularly with you for pray.   

"In the Bible God gives us revelations of himself which lead us to worship, promises of salvation, which stimulate our faith, and commandments expressing his will which demand our obedience.  This is the meaning of Christian discipleship.” - John R. W. Stott

As we approach Scripture, we might ask 'What does this Scripture mean in its original context?'  As we seek to answer this question, we are doing exegetical Bible study.  

Or perhaps we ask, 'What does the Scripture mean in my own context?'  Here to aid us we may do devotional reading, Lectio Divina, or scripture memorization.  Both modes of being with Scripture are important for our life of faith with God.  

“Our desire to know more, read more, and study more can be another expression of our culture and its acquisitive nature.  Knowing God, not knowing more is the goal” – Richard Rohr

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

How has the Bible affected your life? How has this Scripture been the voice of God to you, today?  What challenging questions have you been wrestling with lately that you can learn more about through reading and studying Scripture?  

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Sign up for a Bible study or purchase one for personal study.  Ask a spiritual director, pastor or friend for tips on what to buy.  
• Choose a Scripture to memorize this week.  Perhaps choose a Scripture that encourages us towards “one another.”  Read it twice daily and ask the LORD to reveal to you how to live it out.  
• Try Lectio Divina, which means the reading of the divine.   This long held practice is when we prayerfully encounter and surrender to the living God through attending to Scripture.  As you listen to Scripture look for God's particular, loving word to you at this particular moment in time. Here’s a video done by Wycliff to teach you how to, and lead you in, Lectio Divina (25 minutes) 

We are all called to love our neighbor, and at times this love takes on practically helping through care-giving.  We should have a concern for other's immediate, tangible needs and when able we are to offer our time, money, resources, skills and/or influence.  For some this call feels mostly like work, although it's good work.  Yet for others, there is the added benefit of this helping space being the best way to naturally connect to God.   Through caring, protecting, and nurturing the people right in front of them we can experience the goodness of God.

SCRIPTURE

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:

    to break the chains of injustice,

    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

    free the oppressed,

    cancel debts. (Incarnate Justice)

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

    sharing your food with the hungry,

    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

    being available to your own families. (Helping Practically)

Do this and the lights will turn on,” Isaiah 58:6-8

Consider The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

• Jesus choose a Samaritan to upend the expectations of who we are called to help.  
• The Priest and Levite saw the injured man as an obstacle in their day, rather than an opportunity to be part of God’s plan.  
• Could we see interruptions as opportunities to join God?
• Who is the ‘man along the road’ in my life that needs I can I help?  

A FEW PITFALLS FOR HELPING PRACTICALLY AND INCARNATE JUSTICE

• Don’t neglect self-care or care for family

• Don’t act first and think second.  Don’t follow Moses’ early example.  You must do God’s work, God’s way.

• Don’t get caught thinking, “I’m the only one that can do this” … that leads to isolation, exhaustion and burn out.  Moses too had this problem for a while when he thought he was the only one who could be the judge for all the people’s disputes.  Luckily Moses was teachable and learned from his father-in-law to delegate.  

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

What is it like for you to do a simple task that doesn’t require your skill or expertise?  What does this tell you about your acts of service?  Does your schedule allow for some undedicated time to help spontaneously?  Examine your life this last week.  When did the voice of an entitlement in your head help you make decisions rather than love of neighbor?

ACTIVITIES TO TRY

• Choose two mornings to ask your spouse/roommate/colleague how you can make their day easier.  And then do it.
• Carve out an hour in your schedule and label it “helping.”  Wait until that hour comes and pray, ‘God who needs my help right now.’  Listen and then act.

Incarnate means 'God with us' or 'God here on earth.'  As we act with incarnate justice, we are seeking 'God's kingdom come.'  We are concerned with long-term, systemic problems and we are motivated to offer our time, money, resources, skills, and/or influence to confront wrongs in our world, especially systemic societal evil.  Like helping practically we are all called to this work, as it is part of loving our neighbor, but for some we connect best with God when we engage in this work.  

SCRIPTURE

“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:

    to break the chains of injustice,

    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,

    free the oppressed,

    cancel debts. (Incarnate Justice)

What I’m interested in seeing you do is:

    sharing your food with the hungry,

    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,

    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,

    being available to your own families. (Helping Practically)

Do this and the lights will turn on,” Isaiah 58:6-8

Moses is a good example

• He starts his “career’” as an activist in a misguided way by killing an Egyptian in defense of a fellow Israelite

• While on the run for that misdeed, he rescued young women who were being pushed around by unruly shepherds

• God must have seen the passion and conviction of Moses and known that he would be the right person to rescue the Israelites and bring them out of slavery

• Moses boldly went to Pharaoh bringing Gods message numerous times… “let my people go so that they may worship me…”

• And in the end it was he that led them out of Egypt

A FEW PITFALLS FOR HELPING PRACTICALLY AND INCARNATE JUSTICE

• Don’t neglect self-care or care for family

• Don’t act first and think second.  Don’t follow Moses’ early example.  You must do God’s work, God’s way.

• Don’t get caught thinking, “I’m the only one that can do this” … that leads to isolation, exhaustion and burn out.  Moses too had this problem for a while when he thought he was the only one who could be the judge for all the people’s disputes.  Luckily Moses was teachable and learned from his father-in-law to delegate.  

PRAYERFUL REFLECTION

What is it like for you to be treated unfairly?  What difference can an advocate make?  Consider your responsibilities before God for what you own.  How could you share your gifts with others or use them to advocate for others?  When have you gone without so someone else could have?  What was that like for you?  What would it mean to you to begin to downsize so you could give more to others?  

ACTIVITY TO TRY

Consider an issue you care deeply about… a place of in our world that is not as God would have it to be.  Do some on-line research about an organization working in that area.  Sign up for their newsletter.  What action steps are they suggesting?  Do one.  

“Think often on God, by day, by night, in your business and even in your diversions.  He is always near you and with. You; leave him not alone.” – Brother Lawrence

Consider and practice different types of prayer.

DWELLING PRAYERS

• Theses prayers center upon God's love and help you become aware of God's presence.
• Breath Prayer: This is a simple prayer that matches your intimate heartfelt desire to God.  As you breath in, call upon the name of God.  As you breath out, state your simple desire.  Repeat this same prayer, as it matches your breath.  You might practice it for 3-5 minutes daily.  However the real gift is as this prayer returns to you during times in need in your day.  
• Reflect: What draws you to be aware of the presence of God?
• "pray continually" - 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 

LISTENING PRAYERS

• These prayers provide space for God to speak truth to you.
• Prayer of Examen: helps you discern the voice and work of God in your daily life.  See above for details of Prayer of Examen
• Lectio Divina:  As you listen to Scripture look for God's particular, loving word to you at this particular moment in time. Here’s a video done by Wycliff to teach you how to, and lead you in, Lectio Divina (25 minutes) 
• Reflect: How has contemplation led to gratitude, wisdom or awareness in your life?
• “This is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ.” Philippians 1:9

PLEADING PRAYERS

• In these prayers we pray God's will be done in our lives and others
• Intercessory prayers: prayers of help, inviting God's care and concern for us, our families and friends, and the entire world.  
• Allow a journal to help you note the ways prayers are answered andraw you into gratitidue.  
• Consider also praying with Scripture, interceding for others on a prayer walk, or praying together in partners.  
• Reflect: What do your requests to God reveal about your priorities, goals and desires?  Talk to God about this.  
• ”Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” Philippians 4:6

FAITHFUL PRAYERS

• These prayer join ourselves with the set prayers of others, throughout time and around the globe, and in doing so they beget faithfulness.  They help us pray when we don't feel we can.
• Fixed Hour Prayers: stop and pray thoughout the day.  Read Thomas Merton, a Aook of Hours, or Macrina Wiederkehr, Seven Sacred Pauses, to learn more.
• Consider Fixed Location Prayers, Fixed Task Prayers, or following Liturgical Prayers.
• Reflect: What times of day do you like to pray and why?  What makes prayers authentic?
• “Seven times a day I praise you.” – Psalm 119:164

“It is a paradox of human life that in worship, as in human love, it is in the routine and the everyday that we find the possibilities for the greatest transformation.” – Kathleen Norris