13 Minute Evening Prayer to Review Your Day with God

Welcome, everyone, to this guided prayer session today. You can listen today sitting at home, on a walk, or on your commute. This guided prayer is meant for the end of the day, before you go to bed. Let’s begin.

Today, we are going to do the Prayer of Examen. This prayer was designed by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the 1500s. It is a way to reflect on our day, and look toward tomorrow.

First, Let’s take a moment to give this time to the Lord. Take a moment of silence to prepare your heart, mind, and soul for the Lord. Become aware now of God’s presence. If you don’t sense anything, that is OK. We sit in silence before the Lord as an act of worship.

Look back on the events of the day. Go through the day, hour by hour, from the moment you woke up until now.

Reflect on what you are grateful to God for, from this day. Walk through your day in the presence of the Lord, and note what brought you small moments of joy or delight. What felt like a gift to you? Give attention to even small things, like a good meal, a lovely sight you saw, or other small pleasures of the day. God is with you in those details.

Next, reflect on the feelings you experienced during the day. Was there any sadness, happiness, anxiety, anger? Talk to the Lord about the feelings that came up today.

Next, consider areas on your part where you may have sinned or fallen short. Look deeply for implications. What caused you to behave in this way? Talk to the Lord about it.

What would you like to discuss with God about what happened today? Take a moment to tell God all that is on your heart.

We conclude our prayer time by looking ahead to tomorrow. What emotions come up for you as you consider tomorrow’s tasks? Will there be any challenges you face? Or any moments of joy? Tell the Lord about this, and ask Him where He will be in those moments tomorrow.

You can take a moment to tell the Lord anything that remains on your heart.

Psalm 92

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

1 It is good to praise the Lord

    and make music to your name, O Most High,

2 proclaiming your love in the morning

    and your faithfulness at night,

3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre

    and the melody of the harp.

4 For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;

    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.

5 How great are your works, Lord,

    how profound your thoughts!

6 Senseless people do not know,

    fools do not understand,

7 that though the wicked spring up like grass

    and all evildoers flourish,

    they will be destroyed forever.

8 But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

9 For surely your enemies, Lord,

    surely your enemies will perish;

    all evildoers will be scattered.

10 You have exalted my horn[b] like that of a wild ox;

    fine oils have been poured on me.

11 My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;

    my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.

12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,

    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;

13 planted in the house of the Lord,

    they will flourish in the courts of our God.

14 They will still bear fruit in old age,

    they will stay fresh and green,

15 proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;

    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

Praise be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.