Introduction
The Examen is a reflective prayer that helps believers become aware of God’s presence and their responses to Him in the events of daily life.
Through this practice, individuals review the day before God, noticing moments of gratitude, tension, misalignment, and grace. Over time, the Examen cultivates attentiveness, honesty, and deeper spiritual awareness.
Below you will find an explanation of how the practice works, followed by articles and books that can help you explore it further.
How I Practice the Examen
The best way I can describe the examen is by borrowing a phrase from a book I once read on spiritual disciplines: the examen teaches us to listen deeply to the data of our lives. The examen teaches us to listen deeply to the data of our lives.
Practically, what this looks like for me is that at the end of each day, during my evening prayer, I walk back through my entire day before God:
I replay conversations.
I revisit interactions.
I revisit moments of tension, delight, frustration, and withdrawal.
And I do so in honest conversation with God.
This practice has shaped me profoundly, especially in how I relate to others
It deepens my awareness and attentiveness.
Often, when I replay a conversation before God, I hear something that was said that I did not truly hear in the moment. At the moment, my attention may have been divided. My thoughts may have already been preparing a response. I may have been preoccupied internally. But in the quiet of the evening, when my attention is undivided, certain words surface.
It deepens my understanding.
Sometimes, through the Spirit’s quiet illumination, I begin to perceive the deeper context beneath what was said. I see deeper— beyond the action that was taken. I recognize unspoken grief, fear, defensiveness, or longing that was present but not articulated. I also see how an action I may have interpreted one way is actually reflecting something completely different. The Spirit opens my eyes to subtleties that were invisible to me earlier
It reveals my true motives and exposes the false self I may have constructed.
This is often the most sobering part.
There have been moments when I genuinely believed I acted out of love, only to discover—under God’s gentle but unrelenting gaze—that my action was driven by something else. Perhaps it was a desire to feel good about myself. Perhaps it was an attempt to ease my own guilt. Perhaps it was a subtle attempt to secure someone’s affection or approval.
In those moments, I see that what I labeled as generosity, kindness, or love was, in truth, self-serving. The good I did for you was actually about me.
The examen dismantles that illusion.
It moves me from self-absorption toward focus on others.
As I remain before God, He often shifts my perspective. I begin to see the other person’s possible experience. I consider their history, their vulnerabilities, their internal landscape. God alone knows the heart fully, and as I remain attentive to Him, He trains my attention. He sensitizes me to nuance. He enlarges my field of vision beyond my own emotional narrative.
And interestingly, because I anticipate having this conversation with God each night, it begins to shape how I move through the day. I become more attentive in real time, knowing that nothing simply disappears into forgetfulness.
It empowers me to engage others with honesty and openness.
There is something transformative about standing fully exposed before God—naked, unshielded, unmasked—and discovering that I am still held. That experience builds a certain muscle. After practicing this posture with God repeatedly, it becomes easier to adopt a similar posture with others.
It also diminishes fear, shame, and guilt—the triad that so often obstructs our relationships. When these are brought into the light before God and addressed there, they lose some of their power. The inner peace that comes with a clear conscience grows. That peace emboldens.
I have found that when I approach someone from that posture—honest, open, owning my own misalignment—it often gives them implicit permission to do the same.
Articles and Online Guides
A clear explanation of the traditional five movements of the Examen and how the practice helps individuals review the day in God’s presence.
A concise guide that walks through the practice step-by-step and explains its purpose within Christian reflection
A practical introduction that helps readers begin the practice of the Examen through simple reflection questions.
A guide that introduces the Examen in accessible language through questions about gratitude, spiritual movement, and attentiveness to God.
An accessible article describing how the Examen cultivates attentiveness to God in ordinary life.
Books
A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer — Jim Manney
A widely used introduction to the Examen explaining both its origins and its practical use.
The Examen Prayer — Timothy Gallagher
A deeper exploration of the practice of the Examen with guidance for applying it consistently.
Sleeping with Bread — Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, Matthew Linn
A reflection practice centered on recognizing moments of consolation and struggle in daily life.
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality — Pete Scazzero
Introduces a simplified form of the Examen that integrates spiritual reflection with emotional awareness.