Many of us know how to pray by giving thanks, asking for help, or lifting up concerns. But there is another kind of prayer, older than any of us, that invites God to shine a light on the ordinary moments of our day. It is called the prayer of examen. First practiced by Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century, the examen is a simple way of reviewing the day with God—looking back not only at what we did, but also at what was happening in our hearts.
The examen begins with a quiet prayer: “Lord, help me see my life through your eyes.” From there, we walk back through the day with gratitude, noticing where we lived in love and where we fell short. It is not a test to pass or fail. Rather, it is an invitation to let God search us with mercy and truth.
What strikes me about this practice is how it shifts the focus from self-examination to God-examination. Left on my own, I can either gloss over my faults or dwell on them too heavily. But when I invite God into the process, I can face both light and shadow honestly, knowing they are held in grace.
The examen also helps me notice not only what I did but why I did it. Was I acting out of love and freedom in Christ—or out of fear, pride, or habit? Sometimes the same outward action can come from very different motives. Without God’s searching light, I might never see the difference.
This prayer is not always comfortable, but it is freeing. Each evening, I find myself able to hand over both failures and successes, resting in the truth that God’s love is deeper than either. What remains is not a perfect record but a deeper trust: nothing in me is hidden from God, and nothing in me can separate me from God’s love.
Maybe this week you could try it. Take a few quiet minutes at the end of the day and pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23). Let God do the searching. You may discover that the One who knows you best also loves you most.
