St. Ignatius of Loyola helps us break through our over-scheduled life with an introspective prayer at the end of each day. Take 10-15 minutes in the evening and set a timer so you don’t watch your clock; just relax and be with God who loves you!

1. Find a Quiet Place with no electronic devices or distractions; a secluded room, a natural setting in your yard, nearby park, or Adoration chapel. Quiet yourself for prayer and be attentive to God’s presence. Pray to the Holy Spirit first. Then reflect on the events and thoughts of your day.
2. Identify a Moment of Gratitude; think of how you felt at that moment, thank God for it, knowing that all good gifts come from God, even if he sent it through another person or opportunity.
3. Ask for Forgiveness for a time you messed up today, and pray to be forever free from that fault or bad habit. Even if someone else hurt you, ask God to show you what you could have done to respond to it more charitably.
4. Review your Day as if you were watching a movie; when you woke up, got ready, lived out your morning, had lunch, etc. Who did you encounter? What moments were significant? What did I do well? When was I like Jesus? When did I miss the mark of acting like His beloved disciple? Ask God to show you how he was working with you/for you/through you today.
5. Chat with God. Tell him what’s on your mind, thank him, ask him for forgiveness, laugh with him, ask him a question, seek his healing, open your heart to his love, ask for his help, pray for others, ask him what he wants you to do better on tomorrow.
6. Conclude with a Prayer of the Church. An Our Father, Hail Mary, or if you’ve fighting some temptation, pray St. Michael the Archangel; if you’re in need of relationship mending, pray the Prayer of St. Francis; if you need some consolation or encouragement, pray the Hail Holy Queen.

Look for Patterns. Consider keeping a prayer journal of what the Holy Spirit is revealing to you in your examen. Over time, you may be able to see patterns of times you feel most connected to God, most energized, or which people or situations bring you closer to Christ or further away. Review what/who is helping you have a deeper love relationship with God and move in that direction.