Examen/Daily Review

1) Preparation: enter into a time of quiet, be still and know how much God loves you.
You may like to read scripture, a prayer, lyrics of a song that reminds you of God’s love for you as you prepare.

2). Invitation: invite God to be with you as you search for God’s presence in the day and you learn about yourself during this process of Daily Review.

3) Review: here we identify the main events of a day (week)
– spiritual practice ( e.g. reading scripture, prayer)
– meals (thankful and gratitude.. slow and enjoy provisions given)
– interaction with other people
– any other significant events in day home/work/school

4) Give Thanks: thank God for each part of your day
for is presence with you in the midst of your day,
for those moments you sensed a growing freedom from sin and a greater capacity to love God and others,
if they unresolved issues or questions about the day, expressed those to God,
allow your self to experience gratitude for God’s presence with you even in the places that fell fuel dark and confusing.

5) Confession: name actions, attitudes or moments he fell short of reflecting the character of Christ or the fruit of the Spirit.
As God brings areas to mind, reflect on what contributed to the situation and what might enable you to respond differently in the future.

6) Forgiveness: expressed a willingness to any concrete steps needed to allow Christ’s character to be form in you.
Be assured when you ask for forgiveness that God forgives
Ask God if there is anything you need to do to make things better (situation you confessed)

7) Spiritual Friendship: seek out and share what you are discovering about God and yourself.

There is Something
By: Ted Loder

Holy One,
there is something I wanted to tell you, but there have been errands to run, bills to pay,
arrangements to make,
meetings to attend,
friends to entertain,
washing to do…
and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you, and mostly I forget what I’m about or why. O God,
don’t forget me, please,
for the sake of Jesus Christ….

Eternal one,
there is something I wanted to tell you,
but my mind races with worrying and watching, with weighing and planning,
with rutted slights and pothole grievances, with leaky dreams
and leaky plumbing
and leaky relationships that I keep trying to plug up and my attention is preoccupied with loneliness, with doubt,
and with things I covet
and I forget what it is I want to say to you
and how to say it honestly
or how to do much of anything.
O God,
don’t forget me, please,
for the sake of Jesus Christ….

AlmightyOne
there is something I wanted to ask you
but I stumble along the edge of a nameless rage,
haunted by a hundred floating fears,
of war,
of losing my job
of failing
of getting sick and old
having loved ones die
of dying
and I forget what it is the real question is I wanted to ask
and I forget to listen anyway because you seem unreal and far away and I forget what it is I have forgotten.
O God,
don’t forget me, please,
for the sake of Jesus Christ….

O Father in heaven
perhaps you’ve already heard what I wanted to tell you. What I wanted to ask in my blundering way is
don’t give up on me, don’t become too sad about me,
but laugh with me,
and try again with me,
and I will with you, too.
O Father in Heaven,
perhaps you’ve already heard what I wanted to tell you, What I wanted to ask is,
forgive me,
heal me,
increase my courage, please.
Renew in me a little of love and faith,
and a sense of confidence,
and a vision of what it might mean to live as though you were real, and I mattered,
and everyone was sister and brother.
What I wanted to ask is for peace enough, to want and work for more, for joy enough to share
and for awareness that is keen enough to sense your presence here,
now,
there,
then,
always.
Amen

This prayer poem by Ted Loder expresses the longing which so many of us face, the desire to truly connect with God while being distracted by life.
Ted Loder’s prayer is from “Guerrillas of Grace”.