“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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“I gotta watch the film.”
You hear this phrase all the time from athletes, coaches and sometimes even media personalities. In fact, during the NFL season, teams often even devote a day of the practice week to it. Watching film is so valuable for athletes because it helps them to discern what went right and wrong during a game, where they can improve, and the tendencies and weaknesses of their upcoming opponents, among other benefits.
Some of the best athletes in history — players like Peyton Manning, Luke Kuechly and Kobe Bryant — were meticulous in their film study, and it paid off on the field or court when they were seemingly always a half-second ahead of their opponents.
As followers of Christ, we can watch film too, in the form of prayers of “examen.” A nightly prayer of examen is an ancient spiritual discipline, first practiced by believers centuries ago. It typically involves a five-step prayer at night reflecting on God’s goodness throughout that day and preparing to see His goodness in the day to come.
Here are the five prongs to a prayer of examen:
1) Quiet your heart: Be still and recognize that you’re in God’s presence, that He’s been with you in every part of your day. Pray for God’s help to see what He wants you to see.
2) Thank God: Every moment is a gift from your perfectly good and loving Heavenly Father, so thank Him with all your heart for even the smallest ways you saw Him be good to you that day.
3) Release your day to Him: Think back to where you found yourself that day — the places you went, the people you were with, the emotions you felt — and give the burdens of it all to Him.
4) Confess your failings: Acknowledge the moments when you weren’t thinking God’s thoughts after Him or you acted in a way that didn’t honor Him, ask for forgiveness, and expect His cleansing.
5) Prepare for tomorrow: Ask for God to help you enjoy the day ahead, endure any trials by His strength, see Him at work in your life, and glorify Him in all of it, knowing He’s the same yesterday, today and forever.
God tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 (above) that it’s His will for us to rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. The prayer of examen is a way to do all three as we commune with our Father in Heaven. He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to atone for our sins and draw us near to Himself. He’s committed to molding us into the people He’s called us to be.
As an athlete watches film, let’s review our lives in prayer so we don’t miss how He does it.
— Kevin Mercer
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