Spiritual Disciplines-Meditation, Awareness Examen

People find the time just to sit back and relax and reflect on the events of the day. I tend to watch the late news, say my silent prayers and fall asleep. Am I missing a lot by not looking back on the events of each day? I probably miss a great deal of divine activity in my life just because I am constantly moving from task to completion to new jobs. I tend to be goal-driven which means I always want to finish what is in front of me. I tried Awareness Examen with some success last year. I made a few alterations in the approach I took as compared to the original version. Yes, I believe it is appropriate to alter things to fit your situation and personality. Most of the prayer and meditation forms I wrote about have had significant alterations over the years. Things always work best when they work best for you. Sit quietly at the end of the day. 

• Use earbuds to listen to some instrumental music in the background if you wish.
• Let the events of the day come to you. What circumstances stood out? Why did they stand out to you, and how did they impact your life on this day? How are you thankful for these events?
• Ask the Holy Spirit to unveil how God was working in each event. Did people impact and interact with you in a unique way? Can you see God moving in any of these events or in the lives of the people who touched you on this day? Give thanks for the divine encounters.
• Be aware of internal feelings and emotions while you reflect on the events and the people you encountered. Our emotions are often a gateway to understanding our spiritual experiences; the opposite is true as well.
• What do you think God is trying to tell you as you examine the events and encounters of this day? Be patient and listen for an answer to the previous question; try to let God answer before you do.
• Give thanks for each event and personal encounter. Close with a prayer asking God to be present in your day tomorrow.

 The focus of this type of meditation is to try and find the activity of God in your life. It is far easier for most of us to look back when we try to see what God is doing in our lives. Not many people are prophetic in their awareness of what God is going to do in their lives. Looking back and giving thanks and re-experiencing what God has already done helps us define God’s activity in our lives. Praying for God to be present in our tomorrows helps us look with hope and expectation to what God will do in the future. I encourage you to try Awareness Examen for at least a week. Keep a list of events you identified at the end of each daily session. Also, track any prayers or hopes for tomorrow that you prayed and were fulfilled or recognized. The focus of prayer and meditation may be to unveil the activity of God in our daily living. Perhaps they can both be used to uncover the veil on our spiritual eyes.