The basic form of Ignatian prayer is the Daily Examen.  A section of this website is devoted to it.  The basic idea of the Examen is to find God in the events of our daily lives.  The key to it is to look at our feelings.  They are usually a good indicator of where God is and what we need to pay attention to.

Here is a version of the Examen for “busy persons.”  That’s all of us.  The prayer has five parts.

I pray in gratitude for all the gifts that I have received as I glance back at the experiences of the past twenty-four hours, and allow a spontaneous conversation to develop with God who was and is present.

I pray for enlightenment so that the Spirit will help me see myself honestly, as I review both my actions and my heart’s involvement in them.

I survey the period since last engaging in reflective prayer, paying special attention to the more intense feelings, moods, thoughts, and desires that surface, as a way of getting a sense of what is going on in my life.

I pray for healing in my heart for the any of the ways that I have not lived up to the requirements of love in my relationship with God, myself, and others.

I ask for help to live with renewed hope and increased love of God and others, considering briefly the immediate future, and paying attention to the feelings that spontaneously arise.

Tagged as: busy, Examen, prayer

October 8, 2009