The Examen
​A Resource Page for this Ignatian Spiritual Practice

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How do I pray with the Examen?

The Ignatian Examen is an intentional practice that invites us to get quiet and reflect on how God shows up in our lives, and how our lives . This practice can be done daily, weekly, monthly, yearly or however frequently you feel best fits your own prayer life.

While reflecting on the past, some questions you may want to reflect on these seven aspects of our lives:

1. Spirit
2. Body
3. Mind
4. Relationships
5. Home
6. Work
7. Resources

Take the time to see what surfaces for you, and remember moments where God may have felt close or far away in these spaces. Did you find anything surprising? Is there an area where you felt a lacking of God's presence?  An abundance?

Now take the time to reset for the days to come. What is your hope for the future after reflecting on the past?

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Journaling with the Examen

If you enjoy journaling, this may be the perfect prayer practice for you! Or if you are a person who has always wanted to keep a journal but maybe never knew where to start, the Examen could act as a prayerful guide.

These journal prompts can help you through practicing the Examen:

"How have I loved the Lord my God with all my

1. Heart,
2. Soul,
3. Mind, and
4. Strength?"

"What am I grateful for?"

"What do I need to confess?"

"What are your intentions for the days/weeks ahead?"

Writing can be a tool to help you center, be honest during your reflection time, and help set intentions for the coming days that you can then refer back to over time.

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The Examen
​"Teach Us to Pray" Episode 5

In Luke 11, the disciples say to Jesus, "Teach Us to Pray". In this video series on prayer, we hope to share with you many forms of prayer that you might try out and perhaps adopt into your own intentional prayer practice. Maybe you've always wanted to know more about the Ignatian Examen but didn't know where to start. Or maybe you have been praying the Daily Office for decades and are looking for something new! We hope that through this series you might discover a new spiritual practice or reignite an already familiar practice that brings you closer to God!

​Episode 4: The Examen A centuries old practice that invites us to prayerfully reflect on how God shows up in our lives.