Examen: Session 10

“Search me, God, and know my heart…” (Psalm 139:23)

An Examen is an excellent way to pray and think through what you are learning is to look for God’s presence in your life. More than 400 years ago, St. Ignatius of Loyola encouraged prayer-filled mindfulness by proposing what has been called the Daily Examen. Examen means to intentionally set aside a time of reflection and prayer to allow the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and insight by “examining” a particular experience, event, day, etc. It is a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of a given day in order to better discern God’s presence and His direction in our lives.

This is an adapted version of St. Ignatius’ prayer. For your personal edification and spiritual growth, the following template can help you prayerfully think through what God may be speaking to you as it relates to the Lifeline to Hope training session. Here are a few simple guidelines:

• Be still for a few minutes, settle your mind and your spirit in quietness, and become aware of the presence of God.
• Review the training experience with gratitude. Gratitude is the foundation of our relationship with God. It’s a good spiritual discipline to walk through your day in the presence of God and note its joys and delights.
• Pay attention to your emotions. Reflect on the feelings you experienced during the training session. Ask what God may be trying to say through these feelings.
• Choose one feature of the training session and pray from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the session that God thinks is particularly important for you. It may be a vivid moment or something that seems insignificant.
• Look toward tomorrow. Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges.

St. Ignatius encouraged people to talk to Jesus like a friend. End the 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 issues or problems you may be facing. Do all this in the spirit of gratitude.

Dig Deeper

• In what ways did you discern the Lord’s presence with you as you watched the video presentation?
• What were your three primary “takeaways” from the video presentation in terms of knowledge, insights, and/or Life Coaching principles you learned?
• What weaknesses, shortcomings, blind spots, and/or needs did the Holy Spirit reveal to you during the video presentation?
• In what ways might you make adjustments in attitudes, daily living, and/or your relationships after watching the video presentation (briefly list and explain)?
• What is/are your praise(s) and thanksgiving(s) for today?
• What are the ways in which the Holy Spirit is calling you to be, to do, and to act, so that you may more truly follow Jesus Christ and in the role of a Christian Life Coach?

“We don’t learn by experience alone, but by reflecting on the experiences we do have.” —Dr. Mara Crabtree, Regent University