Praying the Examen, a Daily Reflection

If there’s one practice I come back to again and again in my own life and with those I coach it’s the examen. The examen is a way of praying that helps us pay attention to our lives in the presence of God. It isn’t about checking religious boxes or achieving spiritual performance. It’s about noticing, with God, what’s really happening inside us and around us.

The examen is rooted in the spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius, but it’s as fresh and practical today as ever. Jim Manney, in his little book A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer, calls the examen exactly that: life-changing, not because it adds one more task, but because it opens us to God’s presence woven through the ordinary moments of our day.

A Word About St. Ignatius

The examen comes from St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), a Spanish soldier-turned-mystic who founded the Jesuits. Ignatius was born in the Basque region of Spain, in the town of Loyola. After being wounded in battle, he experienced a dramatic conversion that led him to give up a life of military honor and embrace a life devoted to Christ.

Ignatius believed God could be found in all things, not just in church or in prayer, but in the ordinary moments of everyday life. The examen was his simple way of teaching people to notice God’s presence and respond in love. For more than 450 years, Christians around the world have used this prayer to grow in intimacy with God.

The Five Movements of the Examen

1. Gratitude: Begin with Thanks

Everything starts with gratitude. Before looking at what went right or wrong, pause and notice the gifts of your day. Thank God for the breath in your lungs, for the smile of a child, for that unexpected encouragement from a friend, even for the strength to endure a hard moment. Gratitude softens our hearts. It turns our attention away from what we lack and toward the God who is present and generous. Gratitude slows our hurry so love can flow again.

2. Review: Walk Back Through Your Day with God

Next, replay the events of your day like a movie in your mind. Where were you? Who were you with? What happened? Don’t rush to judge yourself simply notice, with God, how the day unfolded. You might see moments you missed before: a small kindness, a subtle nudge of the Spirit, or a decision made without much thought. Reviewing your day with God teaches you to look at your life through the lens of union — to see how God was present, even in the ordinary.

3. Emotions: Pay Attention to Your Heart

Ignatius believed our emotions are one of the primary ways God communicates with us. As you replay the day, notice what stirred in you. Where did you feel joy, peace, irritation, sadness, or restlessness? Don’t dismiss these feelings as distractions. Instead, welcome them as signals. Emotions point to what matters most deeply. They can reveal where God’s love is drawing you closer, and where your own patterns or wounds might be blocking that love. Awareness of emotion is a gateway to awareness of God.

4. Forgiveness: Rest in Grace

When we look back, we often see places where we fell short, a harsh word, a missed opportunity, a selfish choice. The examen invites us to bring these moments into God’s presence, not to wallow in guilt, but to receive forgiveness. Forgiveness is about intimacy. It’s about being honest before God, allowing Him to love us even in our weakness. Leaders especially need this: we are quick to extend grace to others, but often slow to receive it ourselves. The examen is a daily reminder that God’s grace is bigger than our failure.

5. Hope for Tomorrow: Handing Over What’s Ahead

Finally, turn your eyes toward tomorrow. This isn’t about making a to-do list or planning your calendar. It’s about asking God to be with you in whatever comes next. Where do you anticipate challenge? Where do you need courage, wisdom, or patience? Entrust tomorrow into God’s hands. Often a single word or phrase can serve as a prayer for the day ahead — “peace,” “courage,” “love.” In this final step, you’re not predicting the future; you’re choosing trust, knowing that love goes before you.

Why the Examen Matters for Leaders

For pastors, entrepreneurs, and leaders, the pace of life often feels relentless. We rush from meeting to meeting, sermon to sermon, task to task. And in the rush, we lose sight of God and of our own hearts. The examen is like a pause button — a daily chance to slow down, listen, and reconnect with the One who holds us in love.

When we pray the examen, we discover that union with God isn’t reserved for our “quiet time” or our Sunday morning. It’s available in every email, every conversation, every frustration, and every joy. Love, true, sustaining union can’t survive in constant hurry. But the examen creates space for love to breathe again.

A Gentle Invitation

The examen takes only 10–15 minutes, but its impact can reshape your life. Try it at the end of your day this week. You may be surprised how God shows up in the small details you overlooked.

I believe this practice is essential for sustainable ministry and leadership. If you’d like to explore it further — whether in coaching or spiritual direction — I’d be glad to walk with you as you make the examen part of your rhythm of rest and renewal.

---

Coaching the Red Line integrates life coaching and spiritual direction to help leaders live and lead from a place of rest and union with God. I invite you into this conversation — whether one-on-one or in one of our national mastermind groups for leaders.