What is Examen Prayer?
Examen prayer—also known as the Daily Examen or Examination of Consciousness—is a structured method of reflective prayer designed to cultivate awareness of the divine presence in daily experience. Unlike an examination of conscience that focuses primarily on sin, the Examen attends to the full spectrum of consciousness: emotions, encounters, desires, gratitude, and the subtle movements of consolation and desolation that signal spiritual direction. Practitioners review their day in the presence of God, noticing where they felt most alive or most distant, most grateful or most troubled, and discern where the Spirit is inviting growth or repentance.
Origins & Lineage
The Examen originated in 1522 when St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) began writing the Spiritual Exercises, the foundational text of Jesuit spirituality. Ignatius developed the practice after his leg was shattered by a cannonball at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521; during a prolonged recovery in a cave near Manresa, Spain, he spent nearly a year in contemplation and spiritual experimentation. The prayer emerged from his conviction that God communicates continually through the particulars of daily life—not only in transcendent moments, but also in ordinary experiences like meals, conversations, and work.
St. Ignatius considered the Examen a direct gift from God and wanted it shared as widely as possible. One of the few mandatory prayer rules he established for the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was that members practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. This requirement remains in effect for Jesuits today and has been adapted by Christians and spiritual seekers across denominations.
The Examen draws on earlier traditions of self-examination practiced by the ancient Stoics and Pythagoreans, as well as Christian practices of conscience examination in preparation for confession. However, George Aschenbrenner, SJ, in his classic 1972 article for Review for Religious, clarified that Ignatian prayer attends to consciousness (Spanish conciencia), not merely moral conscience—a shift that expanded its scope to the full interior life.
How It’s Practiced
The Examen typically takes 10–20 minutes and follows a five-step structure, though variations abound:
1. Become Aware of God’s Presence
Begin by settling into stillness and acknowledging that God is present in this moment. Some practitioners use breath prayers or simply sit in silence.
2. Review the Day with Gratitude
Give thanks to God for the gifts of the day—everything from faith and relationships to an easy commute or a good meal. This step roots the prayer in gratitude rather than guilt.
3. Pay Attention to Your Emotions
Review your day hour by hour, paying attention to your emotions. Where did you feel joy, peace, energy, or connection? Where did you feel irritation, depletion, anxiety, or disconnection? These emotional movements—what Ignatius called consolations and desolations—are clues to spiritual direction.
4. Choose One Feature and Pray from It
Choose one event, encounter, or feeling from the day and pray with it. Ask for forgiveness where needed, for healing where wounded, or for understanding where confused.
5. Look Toward Tomorrow
Face the coming day and anticipate its challenges and opportunities; ask God for the specific graces you might need—patience, wisdom, courage, peace.
Many versions conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.
Examen Prayer Today
Contemporary seekers encounter the Examen through Ignatian retreat centers, spiritual direction, Catholic and Protestant congregations, and digital platforms. Apps like Reimagining the Examen (based on Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ’s book of the same name) and websites like IgnatianSpirituality.com offer guided audio versions and downloadable prayer cards. The Hallow Catholic prayer app includes 5-, 10-, and 15-minute daily Examen meditations, as well as specialized versions focused on themes like hope, humility, or ecology.
The practice has been adapted for diverse contexts: managers use a workplace-focused version; families pray it with children; activists employ an ecological Examen or one centered on diversity. Authors like Jim Manney (A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer), Dennis Hamm, SJ (“Rummaging for God”), and Ruth Haley Barton (Sacred Rhythms) have written accessible guides for beginners. Ignatian retreat houses worldwide offer workshops, online courses, and 8-day silent retreats where the Examen is taught as a foundational discipline.
Common Misconceptions
It is not the same as examination of conscience. Many people initially confuse the Examen with the childhood practice of inventorying sins before confession—but they are opposites. The Examen is broader, more relational, and oriented toward gratitude and awareness, not guilt.
It is not self-absorbed navel-gazing. The Examen focuses on God’s presence in the real world; it connects prayer to everyday experience rather than treating spirituality as detached from daily life.
It is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Methods of practicing the Examen are numerous and vary greatly. Ignatius offered a framework, not a script; practitioners are encouraged to adapt steps and timing to fit their lives.
It does not require perfection or virtue. The Examen invites us to approach prayer with gratitude, not guilt, and to take ourselves seriously as we are, not as we wish we were.
How to Begin
Start with one Examen per day—typically in the evening—for 10 minutes. Use a guided audio version if the structure feels unfamiliar; apps like Reimagining the Examen or the Hallow app offer beginner-friendly recordings. Print a prayer card from IgnatianSpirituality.com and keep it visible.
Read A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer by Jim Manney or Busy Lives and Restless Souls by Becky Eldredge for accessible introductions. If you are drawn to deeper practice, seek out an Ignatian spiritual director or attend a weekend retreat at a Jesuit retreat house.
Ignatius believed the Examen could be prayed by anyone, anywhere—it requires no special training, only a willingness to pay attention to your own experience and believe that God is present in it. There is nothing complicated or mysterious about making the Examen part of your life.