Lent &
Holy Week
Examen Resources
Join us through Lent and Holy Week as we deepen our engagement with God by practicing the prayer of Examen in preparation for this season's celebration.
As we have been learning about in our series through the book of Hebrews, we are pursuing more of God’s presence and His new creation work in our hearts.
Each week during Lent and Holy Week, there will be an Examen prayer practice focusing on the themes God is inviting us to. Take five to ten minutes, a few times each week, to spend time with Jesus in these prayers.
Examen Basics
The Examen (not to be confused with examine) is a prayer practice that helps us connect with God– Inviting Him into our everyday moments and asking Him to lead our formation as we listen to Him. It is a way Christians have prayed for 500 years, thanks to Ignatius of Loyola, but the pattern goes back to the Early Church.
Examen creates rhythms of reflecting on our day with gratitude, learning from God’s heart as we dialogue with Him, and responding by entrusting what’s next to Him. It is great to pray daily (evening is best), but you can do it as a weekly pattern, maybe reflecting on the week each Sabbath day.
Depending on how slowly you want to take it, it can take five minutes or longer. There are lots of varieties, but they follow these simple steps:
Slow down, recentering your scattered senses upon the presence of God. Ask the Father for light, to see yourself through His eyes, and to see what He wants you to see.
1. Breathe
Go through your day, and recall the events, experiences, and interactions you had.
Think about your thoughts, feelings, and decisions, whether positive or negative, noting the things that stick out.
Thank God for the good things in your day.
2. Replay
Recognize the places where you felt far from God in your day, and where you felt near to God. Where did you reflect Jesus’ heart and purpose, and where did you not?
Choose one or two moments that feel significant to pray about more deeply…
3. Acknowledge
Talk with God about these moments. What was happening, how did it affect you, and how were you responding? Ask Jesus where He was in this moment, and what you can learn from it. Is God prompting a response like confessing sin, forgiving someone, or asking for grace to respond differently next time. Allow the Spirit to change your heart.
4. Dialogue
5. Anticipate
Consider your upcoming moments, both anxious and welcomed, praying to be aware of God’s presence and affected by His grace as you live through them. Invite the Spirit to lead you into what’s next, and ask if there is anything He wants to prepare you for.
Week 1
March 30 - Apr 5
God-awareness Examen
This examen prayer invites God to grow our awareness of his work and presence in our lives.
Slow down, recentering your scattered senses upon the presence of God. Ask the Father for light, to see yourself through his eyes, and to see what he wants you to see. Ask Him to help you tune in to His nearness and become aware of His presence.
1. Breathe
Go over your day, first noticing where you sensed God’s nearness. Starting with your first breath in the morning, slowly moving through the moments of your day, where did God feel close? Was there a conversation, an interaction, a moment of desperation where you noticed the presence of God as your help, your healer, your comforter?
Taking one final journey through your day with eyes and heart led by and attuned to God’s presence, what’s one moment in your day you sense God bringing your attention to? Get curious with him about what it is He might want you to know about who He is, who you are, and what He is up to in your heart.
2. Replay & Acknowledge
James 4v8
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.”
Psalm 145v18
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
Isaiah 41v10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you,
I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Talk with God about these moments. What was happening, how did it affect you, and how were you responding? Ask Jesus where he was in this moment, and what you can learn from it. Is God prompting a response like confessing sin, forgiving someone, or asking for grace to respond differently next time. Allow the Spirit to change your heart.
3. Dialogue
Consider your upcoming moments, both anxious and welcomed, praying to be aware of God’s presence and affected by His grace as you live through them. Invite the Spirit to lead you into what’s next, and ask if there is anything He wants to prepare you for.
4. Anticipate
Week 2
Apr 6 - 12
Removing Idols Examen
This examen prayer asks God to identify and deal with the idols that are in the way in our life.
Slow down, recentering your scattered senses upon the presence of God. Ask the Father for light, to see yourself through His eyes, and to see what He wants you to see.
1. Breathe
Go through your day, and recall the events, experiences, interactions you had. Think about your thoughts, feelings and decisions, whether positive or negative, noting the things that stick out, maybe in particular, noticing the ways you were drawn towards setting your attention and affection on someone or something more than God himself. Thank God for the good things in your day.
2. Replay
1 John 1v9
“When we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin to cleanses from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 2v15
“Do not love the world or the things of this world.”
Take notice of the particular moments where you felt far from God today. Take a moment to allow Him to guide you through your day. What moments felt hard, grief-filled, annoying, overwhelming, or fearful?
Where was God? What did your heart or mind move towards by way of comfort during those hard moments? Was it a coping mechanism, a distraction, a temptation, a sin? What idol of the heart or mind did you feel drawn towards when the heavy and hard came up for you?
Take a moment to acknowledge those idols to God, asking Him what He has to say. Take another moment to confess these idols, even these moments of drawing away during the heavy and hard parts of our day
3. Acknowledge
Talk with God about these moments. What was happening, how did it affect you, and how were you responding? Ask Jesus where he was in this moment, and what you can learn from it. Is God prompting a response like confessing sin, forgiving someone, or asking for grace to respond differently next time. Allow the Spirit to change your heart.
4. Dialogue
Consider your upcoming moments, both anxious and welcomed, praying to be aware of God’s presence and affected by His grace as you live through them. Invite the Spirit to lead you into what’s next, and ask if there is anything He wants to prepare you for.
5. Anticipate
Week 3
Apr 13 - 19
Intimate Living Examen
This prayer of examen invites God to grow our intimacy with Jesus.
Slow down, recentering your scattered senses upon the presence of God. Ask the Father for light, to see yourself through his eyes, and to see what he wants you to see. Ask Him to help you tune in to His nearness and become aware of His presence.
1. Breathe
Walk back through your day. Where did you sense God’s voice, power, or presence? You may not have realized at the time (we often don’t.) Allow God to reveal Himself in the whispers of unexpected moments.
Notice how you felt in these moments and how they affected you.
Thank God for these good things in your day.
2. Replay
1 Kings 19v11-13
“The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”
Consider the ebb and flow of your awareness of God’s presence with you throughout your day. Where were you most aware of God, and where is he most obvious to you? Are there places in your day where intimacy felt absent or difficult to see?
Choose one or two moments that feel significant to pray about more deeply…
3. Acknowledge
Talk with God about these moments. What was happening, how did it affect you, and did being aware of God (or not) make a difference?
God loves you, and the Spirit is at work in your heart, growing your love for God.
Talk to God about how you have loved Him today, including the struggles. Ask God how He has loved you today, and whether there is anything He wants to show you about his love.
Ask Jesus what you can learn from your interactions with Him today. How can you be more open to realizing He is with you? Are there things that disrupt your ability to appreciate that God loves you?
Allow the Spirit to change your heart.
4. Dialogue
Romans 8v14-16
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Consider your upcoming moments, both anxious and welcomed, praying to be aware of God’s presence and affected by His grace as you live through them. Invite the Spirit to lead you into what’s next, and ask if there is anything He wants to prepare you for.
5. Anticipate
Week 3
Apr 13
Stations of the Cross Examen
Join us on April 13 at our Stations of the Cross Reflection Gallery.
Contemplate and pray The Examen as you engage with a series of art installations depicting Jesus' journey to the cross in a worshipful and introspective environment.
You can come at any time between 5 and 9pm, and we recommend allowing yourself 45-60 minutes to traverse through the stations. Kids are welcome to participate with parents, and a special kids reflection guide will be available to help guide little ones along with you.
Week 3
Apr 13 - 19
Good Friday Examen
A prayer of examen as we reflect on the death and burial of Jesus.
Slow down, recentering your scattered senses upon the presence of God. Ask the Father for light, to see yourself through his eyes, and to see what he wants you to see.
1. Breathe
Recognize the places where you felt far from God in your day, and where you felt near to God. Where did you reflect Jesus’ heart and purpose, and where did you not? Choose one or two moments that feel significant to pray about more deeply…
2. Acknowledge
3. Replay
Go through your day, and recall the events, experiences, interactions you had. Think about your thoughts, feelings and decisions, whether positive or negative, noting the things that stick out. Thank God for the good things in your day.
Talk with God about these moments. What was happening, how did it affect you, and how were you responding? Ask Jesus where he was in this moment, and what you can learn from it. Is God prompting a response like confessing sin, forgiving someone, or asking for grace to respond differently next time. Allow the Spirit to change your heart.
4. Dialogue
Consider your upcoming moments, both anxious and welcomed, praying to be aware of God’s presence and affected by his grace as you live through them. Invite the Spirit to lead you into what’s next, and ask if there is anything he wants to prepare you for.
5. Anticipate
Gather with us on April 18 at 7p for our Good Friday Gathering as we reflect on the death and burial of Jesus through a time of scripture readings, singing, a short message, and communion.
Week 4
Apr 20
Easter Sunday Examen
This prayer of examen invites us to engage in celebrating Jesus’ resurrection with joy!
Slow down, recentering your scattered senses upon the presence of God. Ask the Father for light, to see yourself through His eyes, and to see what He wants you to see.
1. Breathe
Move through your day – where did joy and hope touch you? Where did sorrow or anxiety settle in? What were you doing in those moments, what stirred within you, and how did it shape your day?
Thank God for the moments you rejoiced in Jesus and hope stirred.
2. Replay
How has celebrating Jesus affected you today? Notice where joy welled up as Jesus’ victory over sin, fear, and death became real to you. Where did hope rise, shifting your perspective because He is risen? Where did celebration feel distant, or Jesus’ new-life reality seem far away?
Choose one or two moments that feel significant to pray about more deeply…
3. Acknowledge
Talk with God about these moments. What was stirring in you – your thoughts, your feelings, the weight or wonder of it all?
Ask Jesus if his risen life speaks something new to your heart this Easter. Is God inviting you to respond—to receive grace, to welcome hope, to let the cross and empty tomb awaken joy within you?
Let the Spirit shape and renew your heart.
4. Dialogue
5. Anticipate
Consider your upcoming moments, both anxious and welcomed. Be aware of things that feel joyful to anticipate, and things that bring apprehension.
How does Jesus’ resurrection life reshape what is ahead? Read slowly, inviting God to speak:
2 Corinthians 5v17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Ezekiel 36v25-27
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
Ask God where he wants to bring hope to your hopeless places, a path where you feel stuck, and new life where you are empty.
We can leave our sin and fear, our shame and guilt, at the foot of the cross – is there anything Jesus is inviting you to stop carrying?
1 John 1v9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
As the Spirit reshapes your vision for what’s ahead, thank Him for the good you anticipate, trusting that God is at work. Pray to walk with awareness, to be filled with joy, and to keep celebrating His presence in your life tomorrow.
Easter Gatherings
Sunday, April 20
Invite your family and friends and join us at 9 and 11AM, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus through a time of worship, learning through the Scriptures and baptisms.