Prayer
Finding the Heart’s True Home
by Richard Foster

Week 4
Part 1— Moving Inward
Chapter 2— The Prayer of Examen

“Prayer is the inner bath of love into which the soul plunges itself.”  St. John Vianney

OPENING PRAYER
Prayer Project Review

1.  The Prayer of Examen is not the same as introspection—who does the examination?
         I Chronicles 28:9
         I Corinthians 2:10

2.  Examen of Consciousness—the Remembrance of love
         How was God present today?
         How have we responded to His presence?

3.  Examen of Conscience—the Scrutiny of love
         Uncovering areas that need purification
         Uncovering areas that need healing

4.  Remembering the mighty deeds of God
         Covenants, miracles in the Bible
         His works in our own lives

5.  Allowing God full access to our hearts
         No room for apologies or excuses (remember Adam’s excuses?)
                  God’s light exposes the truth
         No room for self-flagellation
                  No excess self-recrimmination—God is there to comfort/protect

6.  Priceless Grace—the path to self-knowledge
         God reveals our hearts to us
         Coming to terms with the depth of our own Sin

7.  Living Sacrifice—Romans 12:2
         Without self knowledge, we cannot offer God a sacrifice.
         Bringing our true selves to the cross feeds us on the goodness of God
         Without recognizing our own evil, we can never truly come to freedom in                        Christ
         We learn to love ourselves as Christ loves us

8.  Practicing the Prayer of Examen
         Boring deep into our hearts, through ourselves, to find God is with us
         Journaling—different from a diary
                  Not what and who, but why and wherefore
         Attach spiritual inventory to some repeated activity
                  Shooting baskets, walking, dishes…anything.

Precious Savior, why do I fear your scrutiny?  Yours is an examen of love.  Still, I am afraid…afraid of what may surface.  Even so, I invite you to search me to the depths so that I may know myself—and You—in fuller measure.  Amen.


Prayer Project:
Continue with this morning routine:
·  Ask God to search your heart. (Psalm 139)
·  Ask God and your own soul what it means to be a living sacrifice in your daily life.
·  Search your own heart for who you think you are—a role that you hold on earth, or “in Christ”.  Confess those things to God.
Begin to practice Examen in the evening by asking 2 questions:
       God, where was I with you today?
       God, what do I need to bring before you tonight?
Keep a journal if it is helpful.



A hymn to close:

I Need Thee Every Hour
Annie S. Hawkes; Robert Lowry

1.  I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain
I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

2.  I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain

3.  I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain

4.  I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain

5.  I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

Refrain

              

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