Examen Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Surrendering Your Calendar to the Scale of God’s Presence

Each day begins not with our plans, but with releasing every appointment, conversation, and quiet moment into God’s hands. Like placing weights on an ancient balance, we let His priorities tip the scales. This rhythm roots us in trust, not control, acknowledging His presence in meetings, commutes, and even interruptions. Surrender isn’t passive resignation—it’s active partnership. Start by scanning your schedule, whispering “Your kingdom” over each block. The more we practice this, the more ordinary hours become altars. [03:44]

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
(1 Peter 5:6–7, ESV)

Reflection: What one appointment or task on today’s calendar feels hardest to release to God’s control? How might surrendering it shift your posture toward it?

Day 2: Finding God’s Fingerprints in Forgotten Moments

God’s presence isn’t limited to mountaintop moments—it’s woven into packed lunches, traffic jams, and routine emails. The examen prayer trains us to spot His provision in the mundane. Recall the food that nourished you, the text that encouraged you, the breath that sustained you. These are modern-day Ebenezers: stones of remembrance shouting, “Till now, the Lord has helped us.” Gratitude rewires our vision to see holiness in the humdrum. [18:59]

“Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.”
(Psalm 105:1–5, ESV)

Reflection: Where did you overlook God’s quiet faithfulness today? Name one “ordinary miracle” you’ll thank Him for tonight.

Day 3: Dragging Shadows into the Light of Honest Prayer

Reviewing the day requires courage—to hold both our kindnesses and our cutting words before God. Did we bless or gossip in that meeting? Harbor resentment while smiling? The examen isn’t self-flagellation but liberation: dragging hidden shames into Christ’s forgiving light. Like David, we ask God to autopsy our motives, not to condemn, but to heal. This is how calloused hearts become tender again. [25:29]

“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)

Reflection: What specific thought, reaction, or choice from today do you most need to confess? How might bringing it to God now bring peace?

Day 4: Praying the Dangerous Prayer: “Make Me Want What You Want”

True repentance isn’t promising to try harder—it’s begging God to rewrite our desires. That secret jealousy? That stubborn grudge? We lay them bare, not to fix them ourselves, but to say, “I’m tired of wanting this. Give me Your hunger instead.” This is the turning point: trading self-help for Spirit-surgery. The God who searches hearts can transplant even our deepest cravings. [27:56]

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(1 John 1:9, ESV)

Reflection: What sinful desire or toxic attitude have you been rationalizing? How would your life change if you truly wanted God’s will instead?

Day 5: Falling Asleep in the Arms of Unburdened Grace

The day ends as it began—in surrender. We release unmet goals, parenting fails, and silent regrets into hands pierced for us. Like a child trusting a parent to finish the chores, we sleep knowing grace fills the gaps. Tomorrow’s mercies don’t depend on today’s performance. Our last thought? “Into Your hands.” Our first thought tomorrow? “Your hands again.” [30:53]

“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.”
(Psalm 31:5, ESV)

Reflection: What unfinished task or relational strain keeps you awake? How might entrusting it to God’s “night shift” ease your heart tonight?

Sermon Summary

The Great Commission sets the frame and the promise sets the tone. “Go and make disciples,” then, “I am with you always.” That promise drives a way of life, not a quick tip on prayer. The kingdom is here and now, so the rhythm of a day gets built around God’s presence, not around convenience. A morning surrender gives the day back to Jesus. A 10:02 harvest prayer asks the Lord of the harvest for workers and opportunities. A 2:14 kingdom prayer asks in Jesus’ name for the kingdom to move on the ground, even for a literal outpost where grace can be seen.

The examine prayer lands the day. This one is not for half measures. This is the prayer that says, “Search me.” It is the willingness to bring the real heart into the light where God already sees and intends to heal. A culture short on self-examination and long on reaction needs this daily slow-down, because unchecked habits and old wounds eventually steer the car.

The examine means “the tongue of a balance,” the little indicator on a scale. Ignatius used it to teach believers to hold the day up to the scale. Compline and the old bedside prayer press the same point, a going-to-sleep prayer of trust. Prayer is not a genie. Prayer is presence. It is like building habits in therapy, not a lever to get quick outcomes. Scripture backs the move: the Spirit searches everything. David tells Solomon that the Lord searches hearts. Psalm 139 asks God to search and lead, then Jesus asks a paralytic, “Do you want to be healed?” Honesty invites God to actually deal with what is named.

A simple PRAY helps: Presence, Review, Ask, Yield. Presence remembers God’s wondrous works, today’s provision, and the big Ebenezer stones where God clearly helped. Review drags the day into the open without spin, confesses sin, and refuses the shortcut of silence. Ask invites God to do what self-help cannot, even to change desire: “Help me not want what I currently want. Help me want what I do not want.” Yield ends the day with Psalm 31:5, “Into your hand I commit my spirit,” and casts anxieties on the God who cares. A person can fail the day and still surrender it, trusting grace to fill the gaps. The whole daily rhythm then loops: evening examine, morning surrender, a 10:02 reset, a 2:14 kingdom ask. All can, some should, none must. But those who live this way will look a little weird, and like Jesus, they will look free.

Key Takeaways

1. The kingdom is here, live accordingly. The promise “I am with you always” is not a slogan, it is the operating system. Life changes when a person arranges the calendar around Presence rather than trying to squeeze Presence into the calendar. Mission then becomes responsive, not frantic, because Jesus is already at work. [01:42]
2. Prayer is presence, not a lever. The examine is not a trick to get results. It is a way to stand where God is already moving and to become honest in that light. Results do come, but they arrive as fruit of abiding, not as trophies of technique. [13:03]
3. Examine with PRAY: Presence, Review, Ask, Yield. Presence remembers God’s works, today’s provision, and big Ebenezer help. Review confesses without self-justifying. Ask requests God to do heart-work a person cannot do alone, even to reshape desire. Yield hands back the unfinished day and rests in mercy. [16:32]
4. Surrender the unfinished day to grace. Failure does not get the last word when a person ends the day with “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” Anxiety loosens when incompletion is consciously handed over to a faithful God. Grace meets the gap between who someone intended to be and who they were today. [29:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:14] - Laughing at ridiculous prayers
[00:53] - Great Commission and with-you promise
[02:38] - Shifting to a prayer rhythm
[03:44] - Daily alarms: surrender, harvest, kingdom
[05:39] - Introducing the Examen practice
[08:45] - What “examine” means
[09:49] - Roots: Ignatius, Compline, bedside
[13:03] - Not a genie: presence first
[13:36] - God searches hearts in Scripture
[15:27] - Do you really want healing?
[16:32] - The PRAY framework for examen
[23:06] - Review without self-justifying
[29:10] - Yielding the unfinished day to God
[34:15] - All can, some should, none must

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)
"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!"

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Observation questions

What two instructions does Jesus give in Matthew 28:19-20, and what promise does He pair with them?
The sermon mentions four parts of the "PRAY" framework for the examine prayer. What are they, and what does each involve? [16:32]
According to Psalm 139:23-24, what does the psalmist specifically ask God to do, and what is the desired outcome?
What practical examples were given in the sermon for remembering God’s presence daily (e.g., Ebenezer stones)? [18:04]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus connects the command to "make disciples" with the promise "I am with you always"? How might this shape our approach to mission?
The sermon argues that prayer is "presence, not a lever." What does this contrast mean, and how does it challenge common misconceptions about prayer? [13:03]
Psalm 139:23-24 invites God to search our hearts. Why might this feel risky or uncomfortable, and what does it reveal about God’s character?
How does surrendering "the unfinished day to grace" (as in 1 Peter 5:7) address both failure and anxiety? [29:30]

Application questions

The "PRAY" framework includes reviewing the day without self-justification. What habit could you create tonight to honestly reflect on one area where you fell short or reacted poorly? [23:06]
The sermon suggests praying, "Help me not want what I currently want." What desire or habit do you need to bring this prayer to this week?
Where in your daily routine (e.g., morning, 10:02, bedtime) do you most struggle to prioritize God’s presence? What practical step could help you "surrender the rhythm" there? [02:38]
The idea of "Ebenezer stones" involves remembering God’s past faithfulness. What specific moment from your life could you write down or share with someone this week as your "Ebenezer"?
How might praying "Into your hand I commit my spirit" (Psalm 31:5) before sleep change your perspective on tomorrow’s challenges or today’s regrets? [29:10]
The sermon says, "All can, some should, none must" about these prayer rhythms. Which part of the rhythm (surrender, 10:02, examine) feels most necessary for your season right now—and why?

Sermon Clips

36s

#DontHideYourStruggles

“Where did I fail to pray? Where was I around an enemy and my heart was against them and I didn't pray for them? And I'll tell you that you're gonna be tempted at this part to skip some of them. You're gonna be tempted to say, you know what? I don't want God to even know about this even though I'm I know he knows, but I don't wanna break it up. And and it may be because you don't want him to deal with it, maybe because you don't wanna deal with it. It may be because you think you can't or he can't, but I'm telling you the hardest part of the exam is when you begin to say, you know what?”

34s

#HelpMeWantWhatsHoly

“We're simply saying, god, like, your word says this, but I want this. For me, this is where I pray. This is a prayer I pray all the time. I've been praying this prayer for years. Ever since I heard it, this is the point in which I say, god, help me not want what I currently want. God, help me to want what I currently do not want. And I I will drag whatever the sin struggle is, whatever the the the thoughts in my mind that I know, man, God, I'm just gonna be raw here. Bring this help me to not want this.”

22s

#AvoidSelfJustification

“If we are the lone examiners of our heart, a thousand justifications will arise to declare our innocence. If you just say, I'm gonna resolve to be better, you're gonna figure out a way in which your sin is okay. You're the exception to the rule. Your circumstances brought this. So that's not what we're talking about though.”

40s

#InviteGodIntoEveryArea

“So Psalm one thirty nine is kind of the the idea that every single thread of this comp line or this examine prayer is ultimately we're inviting God to know us even deeper. We're inviting God into every area of our life. And and we're not trying to fix ourselves. We're just presenting them to him and say, God, I'm surrendering. I'm giving you all of this. That's the basic idea. There's a a phrase in John five. You remember what Jesus said at the pool when he's healing a paralytic? And he asked him, do you want to be healed?”

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Examen Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Surrendering Your Calendar to the Scale of God’s Presence

Day 2: Finding God’s Fingerprints in Forgotten Moments

Day 3: Dragging Shadows into the Light of Honest Prayer

Day 4: Praying the Dangerous Prayer: “Make Me Want What You Want”

Day 5: Falling Asleep in the Arms of Unburdened Grace

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Examen Prayer

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