Should I go down this path or that one? Should I take the new job or keep my old one? What does God want me to do? What does God want me to change? How do I know where God is leading me? These are common questions that deal with the topic of discernment. Developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Prayer of Examen helps us become more aware of where God is in our lives. When we practice the Examen we begin to be attentive to times of consolation (what gives us life, joy, peace, love) and to times of desolation (what brings us anxiety, worry, fear, anger). When we notice desolation in our lives we begin to have a sense of what God is leading us away from. When we notice consolation, the fruits of the Spirit, we are actually noticing God. And once we begin to notice God our job is to follow wherever God is leading.
Practice the Examen:
- Choose a period of time to examine in prayer. This can be a day, week, or a specific event.
- Allow your mind to wander through that period of time. Some questions you might ask yourself about that period include:
– What am I most/least grateful for during that time?
– When did I feel a sense of love, peace, joy, life (the gifts of the Spirit)?
– When did I feel exhausted, dead, drained, angry, mean?
– What specific events, thoughts, or experiences draw my attention?
– What aspects of that time repel me?
– What moments from that time speak to me of my deepest desires?
– What things feel out of place, uninteresting? - Ask yourself, When did I notice God during this time? What felt like a time of God’s absence?
- As some answers to these questions arise, notice what this tells you about the future. How is it that God is calling you into being? Toward what actions, activities, or attributes is God drawing you?
- Repeat this prayer at regular intervals in order to see how God is working in your life.
Taken from Creating a Life with God by Daniel Wolpert
Artwork by Trey Everett
Check out more at http://www.micahprays.org/art/doodles.htm#deadplant