The Examen: Prayer of confession and repentance
“To confess sins is not to tell God anything God doesn’t already know. Until you confess them, however, they are the abyss between you. When you confess them, they become the Golden Gate Bridge.”
Frederick Buechner
We are asked to examine ourselves before taking communion. Often, Sunday communion comes to me almost as a surprise. During the service, I am allowed a small amount of time for self examination.
Somewhat like the tendency to want to skip being examined by a dentist, we may prefer to forego God examining our hearts. Often we need to pray for God’s help to even start the process of confession and repentance. In confession, we agree with God: we’ve done something wrong We need help. Honest confession does not necessarily change behavior. When we repent, we admit that we need to change who we are and what we do. Roadblocks to repentance include pride: If what we are doing is not “so bad” we can continue on our way. Control: While operating with a sense of control, even when we confess sin, we it is possible to control our repentance. Justification. Self preservation. And so on.
Examination by God is a process. The Examen, as a method of prayer, can be how we meet with God to discuss our lives. It was formulated in 1522 by Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. The word Examen is Greek for examine or weigh. The Examen should be seen as a conversation – reinforcing our relationship with Him. There are traditionally five steps to this prayer, which have varied over the years. Here’s a version from Jim Manny, an author of books on Ignatian spirituality.
The Examen
1. Ask God for light.
Ask God to be present with you. Quiet your thoughts. Ask God to illumine your time together. (Ephesians 5:8)
2. Give Thanks.
Remember the goodness of God. Thank Him for who He is. Thank God for what He’s provided. As we thank God for His blessings, we understand His great love. (Isaiah 41:10)
3. Review the day.
Ask God to help you examine your day. When was He especially apparent? How did God bless you? How did God help you during the day? (Psalm 31)
4. Face your shortcomings.
Be honest with yourself. Be specific. No excuses. Where do you need healing? When were you anxious or angry? Say sorry to God for things that you are embarrassed about. Let go. (Psalm 139)
5. Look toward the day to come.
Thank God for the reset for a fresh start tomorrow. What will you need from God tomorrow? Ask the God to grant you rest (and inspiring dreams!). Remind yourself of the greatness of God. (Lamentations 3:22-23)
Some find comfort in praying the examen as part of their daily routine, many in the evening as a review of their day. This can be as easy asking God to reveal His presence during the day as well as where you fell short, or it can be through praying the steps of the Examen. As with all prayer, Examen is not formulaic, rather it is a method of communication with God. It may take several settings to get through the steps.
“The Examen is an immediate solution to the problem of ‘what do I pray about?’ The answer is: everything that’s happened to you today. You might have the impression that your everyday life is the dreary same old, same old. It isn’t. Daily life is rich and meaningful. Every encounter, every challenge, every disappointment, and every delight is a place where God can be found.”
Jim Manney, A Simple, Life Changing Prayer
Pete Greig writes that “God is not just in the nice stuff. He is also with us in the darkest valley, in seasons of doubt, and even in our sin.” When reviewing our day, rather than wondering why the situation happened or mulling over what occurred ask, “Where were you in this negative situation, God?”
Praying the examen, is a way to better understand both God and yourself. Be sure that your prayer centers in the truth about God. Ask Him to reveal ever more of Himself while he gives you a glimpse of your true self . Anthony Bloom writes about prayer:
The moment you try to focus on an imaginary god, or a god you can imagine, you are in great danger of placing an idol between yourself and the real God. … It is not a journey into my own inwardness; it is a journey through my own self, in order to emerge from the deepest level of self into the place where He is, the point at which God and I meet.
Additional Suggestions:
Here are some additional means of confession and repentance.
Personal Retreat
Go somewhere quiet such as the Mount Angel Abbey, a park, or a friend’s house. Devote as much time as needed to get right with God.
Journaling
The act of writing, for some is a release. It can be a means of understanding yourself and encountering Christ.
The Jesus Prayer
A quick prayer to pray during stressful situations. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Lectio 365.
Lectio 365 is a downloadable app. The form of morning prayers is inspired by Lectio Divina, which focuses on Bible readings as a way to meditate and pray. Lectio’s evening prayers are fashioned after The Examen, which is a reflection on the day, thanking God for what He did, repenting and preparing for the night’s rest.
Resources:
Bloom, Anthony, Beginning to Pray, pgs. 45-49
Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home.
Greig, Pete, How to pray: a simple guide for normal people, pgs. 169-183.
Ignitian Spirituality, https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/the-steps-of-the-examen/ The Steps of the Examen.
Manney, Jim, A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer: Discovering the Power of St. Ignatius Loyola’s Examen
Morse, MaryKate, A Guidebook to prayer, pages 62, 89.
The Book of Common Prayer.
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you
In thought, word, and deed,
By what I have done, and what I have left undone.
I have not loved You with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbors as myself.
I am truly sorry and humbly repent.
For the sake of Your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me and forgive me;
that I may delight in Your will,
and walk in Your ways,
to the glory of Your Name. Amen.
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