Deacon Tom Spalding, retired Permanent Deacon from Our Lady's Church at Medley's Neck, used to say, "God is always with us, but we're not always with him." He's right, of course - God himself dwells within us by grace, but we often live our days without being aware of him. Because life is full of distractions, it requires constant effort to redirect our hearts to God in prayer.

One classic tool that can help us to learn to live our days more intentionally united with God is St. Ignatius of Loyola's "examen prayer." More than a simple examination of conscience to identify your sins, this prayer is a full survey of your thoughts and emotions to see how God has been at work within you and how attentive you have been to his interior work. Fr. Timothy Gallagher, whose numerous books on prayer are indispensable, offers this helpful outline in his book, The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today:

Transition: I become aware of the love with which God looks upon me as I begin this examen.

Step One: Gratitude. I note the gifts that God’s love has given me this day, and I give thanks to God for them.

Step Two: Petition. I ask God for an insight and a strength that will make this examen a work of grace, fruitful beyond my human capacity alone.

Step Three: Review. With my God, I review the day. I look for the stirrings in my heart and the thoughts that God has given me this day. I look also for those that have not been of God. I review my choices in response to both, and throughout the day in general.

Step Four: Forgiveness. I ask for the healing touch of the forgiving God who, with love and respect for me, removes my heart’s burdens.

Step Five: Renewal. I look to the following day and, with God, plan concretely how to live it in accord with God’s loving desire for my life.

Transition: Aware of God’s presence with me, I prayerfully conclude the examen.
 

During this season of Lent, I've been trying to pray the examen prayer frequently, striving to pay attention to whether my heart is fixed on God and his will or on other distractions. I do a better job at this some days than others, naturally, but have found the Examen prayer to be very rewarding.

If you've never prayed an "examen" before, I highly recommend it. Find a quiet place to pray for several moment, then use the simple steps above to review how God may have been at work within you and how you've responded to him. Although it requires different wording than above, I use the acronym "GRACE" to remember the five basic steps:

1. Gratitude
2. Request (or "Petition")
3. Assessment (or "Review")
4. Contrition (or "Forgiveness")
5. Embrace God's Will (or "Renewal")

Again, the GRACE acronym requires a slight tweek of wording, but I've found it helpful. For a fuller explanation of St. Ignatius's Examen Prayer, I highly recommend The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today.