Grow! Pray! Study! Daily Guide from the United Methodist Church
of the Resurrection - Sunday, 26 January 2014 – “Prayer Tip”
Prayer Tip:
The last three years of my life I have spent much time in
reflection and discernment in an effort to listen to God's call on my life.
Over a period of time, I had felt a certain sense of dissatisfaction with
aspects of my life and felt that perhaps God had something particular in store
for me. I realized that I needed to make a more intentional effort at figuring
out what that was. Part of that included discussion with other people. A great
portion of it was working to listen to God more effectively. Jesus understood
his mission which was to culminate in his death on the cross; signifying God's
mission of humanity's redemption was achieved. Jesus reiterated God's mission
and his understanding of it saying "not my will, but thy will be
done". The prayer of Examen can help with this process. This prayer is
derived from prayer exercises developed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola. According
to ignatianspirituality.com "the Daily Examen is a technique of prayerful
reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God's presence and
discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church
that can help us see God's hand at work in our whole experience." - See
more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen
The Examen has 5 steps and is recommended for midday or end of
day.
1. Stillness: Become aware of God's presence. Ask the Holy Spirit
to come into your heart and to help you to look honestly at your actions this
day and how you have responded in different situations.
2. Review the day with gratitude. Recall the gifts that God has
given you that you can share with others.
3. Reflection: Looking Back on Your Day. Recall your feelings
and motives to see whether you considered all of the possibilities and freely
followed God's will. Ask yourself when you were conscious of God's presence.
Think about opportunities you had to grow in faith, hope, and charity
4. Sorrow: Asking for Forgiveness. Express sorrow for the times
you failed to follow God's direction and ask him to be with you the next time
you encounter a similar situation. Give thanks to God for the grace that
enabled you to follow his will freely.
5. Hopefulness: Resolving to Grow. Ask God to help you as you
look forward to a new day tomorrow. Resolve to cooperate and trust in the
loving guidance of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Conclude the day's
prayerful review with the Lord's Prayer. - See more at:
http://www.loyolapress.com/prayerfully-reviewing-your-day-daily-examen.--Kelly
Hansen
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United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, KS 66224 United States
(913)897-0120
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