God is always present in our lives, but many of us struggle to find Him. And not just recently. More than 400 years ago St. Ignatius Loyola instituted the Daily Examen to encourage prayerful mindfulness. Using the Examen, we reflect on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and direction for us.
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1. Become aware of God’s presence.
Ask God the Holy Spirit to help you look back on the day’s events with clarity and understanding.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
Walk through your day in the presence of God and note its joys and delights: the day’s gifts, the work you did, the people you met. Pay attention to small things—the food you ate, the sights you saw, and other seemingly small pleasures. God is in the details.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
We detect the presence of the Spirit of God in the movements of our emotions. What have you been feeling during this day? What is God saying through these feelings? God will most likely gently show you ways that you fell short. Make note of these. But look deeply for other implications. Is God showing you a need for change?
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the day that God thinks is particularly important. It may involve a feeling, and encounter, or a moment of peace or pleasure. It may seem insignificant. Examine it and pray about it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.
Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges. Pay attention to the feelings that surface as you survey what’s coming up and turn them into prayer. Seek God’s guidance. Ask him for help and understanding. Pray for hope.
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St. Ignatius encouraged people to talk to Jesus like a friend. End the Daily Examen with a conversation with Jesus. Ask forgiveness for your sins. Ask for his protection and help. Ask for his wisdom about the questions you have and the problems you face. Your life is a gift, and it is adorned with gifts from God. End the day with gratitude.