Prayer Resources
Praying the Examen
The Examen is an age-old prayer that reviews the day while spending time with God. You can pray it at the beginning of the day, the end of the day, or somewhere in between.
Here is a rephrased version of the Examen to help you apply it to your life. For more details on each step, check out Pastor Jason's blog posts. or the sermon podcast for 1/15/23.
Step 1, Experience: Orient yourself to the reality that God is here with you.
Step 2, Thankfulness: Rather than beginning with problem solving, begin with what is working. Do you have a roof over your head? A working car? Shoes on your feet? A meal? A friend? Spend time savoring such things and thanking God for them.
Step 3, Remember: Reflect with the Holy Spirit on the past day or hours, the full human experience, while embracing the highlights.
Step 4, Repent: Turn toward God and what you were made to be.
Step 5, Focused Connection: Consider the day ahead and pray for an area where you could really use a special connection with God.
Prayer Tips
How to Get Started
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Prayer is simply humans talking with God.
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Pray from wherever you are at in life, however you are feeling.
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Pray how you can, rather than worrying about praying how you can't.
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There is no right or wrong way to pray, but it is helpful to have a way to pray.
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The best way to learn to pray is to do it.
Prayer Posture
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Prayer involves both external (physical) and internal posture.
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External posture includes your location, movement, and body position.
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Location can be inside or outside, or a certain part of the room or the church. The right location can put us in a better mindset for prayer.
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Movement can be fast, slow, or still. It can involve walking, pacing, clapping hands, or other motions.
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Body position can either demonstrate or create our mental or emotional position. It can include kneeling, standing, raising hands, lifting hands, and so on.
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The best internal posture for prayer is to be unhurried. We can pray during natural moments of pause during the day, or we can choose prayer during our free times.