The Examen prayer is one of the foundations of Ignatian prayer. This audio version of the God In All Things-adapted Examen is without music. The track begins and ends with a chime from a singing bowl and offers silent pauses between each prompt. While the Examen can be prayed at any time of day, it is ideally prayed at the close of the day so you can reflect on the last 24 hours.
This can be your most important prayer of the day, allowing you to reflect on your experiences and feelings with God. This Examen is the God In All Things adaptation which can be purchased as wallet cards here.
Click below to play the guided Examen.
PRESENCE
Your desire to pray this examen indicates a deep interior desire to know God and know yourself in a deeper way. This desire indicates God’s presence right now, and God’s desire to enter into this prayer time with you. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to shed light onto this examen… For a moment, notice God gazing upon you in love.
REVIEW
Now go through all the events of your day, let them come to mind naturally without effort. What did you do? Whom did you meet? What happened to you? Re-experience these events, let any feelings come on their own, feel free to express to God what was good, what was hard. God is listening right now.
FEELINGS
Notice the feelings that have arisen within you. You may have experienced all kinds of feelings and emotions, joys, sorrows, delights, and sadness. Express those feelings to God and know that God experiences those feelings with you.
ONE FEATURE
As you’ve taken note of all the goings on and feelings of the day, there may have been one feature you kept going back to, one thing, either something that happened, perhaps an interaction, a relationship, or a feeling you felt that kept drawing you back to examine more. What is that thing? … Take some time to pray just with that. What can you take from that thing? What might have God been teaching you through that?
MAGIS
Consider today what you have done for God. How have you lived the Gospel message, of peace, charity, and bold love? And based on your prayer and reflection in the last few minutes, what more can you do in your daily living? This is what the Jesuits call magis, which is Latin for “more”. What is the magis that will change how you live and love tomorrow?
