Small Group Teaching

2. LESSON 2 - THE PRAYER OF EXAMEN
•Search me, O God, and know my
heart; try me and know my
thoughts; and see if there be any
grievous way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting.”
•Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)

3. INTRODUCTION
In his book, Prayer:
Finding the Heart’s True Home,
Richard Foster describes prayer as an
inward transformation of self through
Jesus, our Saviour and Teacher, an
upward journey to intimacy with God
the Father and an outward movement
into ministry through the Holy Spirit’s
empowerment.

4. There is a significance in the order of the
movements of prayer. To pray is to
change. As we pray, an interior
transformation takes place and we desire
closeness with God. Ministry flows from
our intimacy with God.
We are purified and drawn into a close relationship with
God not just for our own sake but for the sake of others,
that we might be a blessing to them. The movement inward
and upward must come first in order for the movement
outward into ministry to flow out of the abundance of the
Spirit.

5. PRAYER OF EXAMEN
The Prayer of Examen is one of the means God
uses to bring about inward transformation.
The Examen, derived from the Latin word for
is a way of assessing one's life before God on
a regular basis, conveying the idea of an
accurate assessment of the true situation.
‘examination’

6. PRAYER OF EXAMEN
It is a common biblical practice but
tragically, many believers journey through
their spiritual walk for years without having
a single experience of the examen prayer.

7. The Psalmist David declares,
“O Lord, you have searched me
and known me”
(Psalm 139:1)

8. and the Apostle Paul reminds us that
“The Spirit searches all
things, even the deep
things of God” .
(1 Corinthians 2:10)

9. These men of faith experienced examen not as a
dreadful thing but as something of immeasurable
strength and empowerment.

10. The Prayer of Examen has two aspects
 An examen of consciousness through which we
discover how God has been present to us
throughout the day and how we have responded
to His loving presence.
 An examen of conscience in which we uncover
areas that need cleansing, purifying and
healing.

11. THE REMEMBRANCE OF LOVE
The practice of the prayer of examen helps
us develop a growing awareness of God’s
presence and the subtle movements of His
Spirit in our lives.

12. THE REMEMBRANCE OF LOVE
In the examen of consciousness, we prayerfully
reflect on the thoughts, feelings and actions of our
days to see how God has been at work among us
and how we responded.
In reviewing our day, we pay special attention to the
moments we most felt God’s presence with us, and
conversely, becoming aware of the times when we
felt separated from Him.

13. The prayer of examen invites us to practice
living in gratitude as we remember the people,
situations and events in our day for which we
are most grateful, and also to ask special
blessing and prayer for the hopes and concerns
in our hearts. In a nutshell, the examen of
consciousness beckons us to heed the call to
remember and rehearse the mighty deeds of
God.
THE REMEMBRANCE OF LOVE

14. THE SCRUTINY OF LOVE

15. In the examen of conscience,
we invite the Lord to search
our hearts to the depths.
THE SCRUTINY OF LOVE
Far from being dreadful, this is a scrutiny of love.
We boldly speak the words of the Psalmist,
“Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart; test me
and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there is any
wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting
way.” (Psalm 139:23-24, AMP)

16. THE SCRUTINY OF LOVE
A joint search with God
helps us see what is
truly in us and it is for
our good and healing.
When God is with us in
the search, we avoid
the tendency to justify
or condemn ourselves.

17. The Prayer of Examen produces within us the
priceless grace of self-knowledge.
THE SCRUTINY OF LOVE
Through faith, self-knowledge
leads us to self-acceptance and
self-love that draws their life
from God’s unconditional love
and acceptance.

18. THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN

19. There are many versions of the examen, but
all have five steps.
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
Here are some key elements of a daily examen
that we can be prayed at the close of the day: -

20. A. Give thanks to God
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
for His great love for you
and all the things you
are grateful for during
the day.
Reflect on the ways
God has blessed you on
this particular day.

21. understand how He is acting in your life.
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you through this
time of soul-searching to guard against the
tendency to hide in denial, wallow in self-pity
or succumb to guilt and condemnation.
B. Pray for God’s grace to

22. C. Review your day.
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
As you reflect on the events, ask God to show
you where He was present with you, even though
you may not have recognized it at the time.

23. D. Recall specific moments and your feelings at the
time whether it is joy, sorrow, delight or sadness,
anger or compassion. Reflect on what you did, said,
or thought in those instances.
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN

24. THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
If you did, rejoice.
If you fell short of Christ-likeness,
simply name your failure honestly,
confess it to God and receive His
forgiveness (1 John 1:9)
Did I choose Jesus’ way in that situation?

27. Is there a specific incident that kept
drawing you back to examine more?
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
Take some time to pray about that.
What might God be teaching you
through that occurrence?
Thank Him for the joys and struggles
of the day and for His presence in
your life.

28. Put your hope in God and ask Him to help you learn
from the day’s experiences and to live tomorrow
anew in a spirit of greater awareness of His presence
with you.
Ask for help with any moments you foresee that
might be difficult – decisions you are mulling over,
the things you will be doing, the people you will be
seeing etc.
THE PRACTICE OF EXAMEN
E. Look toward tomorrow

29. CONCLUSION
The prayer of examen at the end of each day
recalls how God has been with us.
His dealings and our response to Him.
It concludes with prayer after self-examination
and asking for His cleansing and healing.