Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Tuesday, May 19, 2015
What God Thinks is Important!
How on earth does someone sift through the many, multifaceted activities of their day?
A great deal of things happen to me every day. Little things, big things, trivial stuff, important stuff: all kinds of events and happenings, each day. Sometimes, I can’t even begin to remember all of the stuff that went on in one particular day. And a few times—more recently—next to nothing happened to me. At all. But, that isn’t as often.
How do I sort through my day, at the end of the day, when it’s so chock full of stuff? How can I sift through the happenings and find those things that almost highlight themselves? I know very well how important a regular inventory is, by this time. I’ve done it for years, on a regular basis.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with the practice (found in Ignatian spirituality and prayer), this is one step in the Daily Examen. A practice we’ve been looking at for the past few days on this blog. The short, simple steps I am detailing, one at a time, are a straight-forward presentation of how to practice St. Ignatius’ daily examination of oneself. I consider this step to be especially helpful. For me, right now.
“4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to direct you to something during the day that God thinks is particularly important. It may involve a feeling—positive or negative. It may be a significant encounter with another person or a vivid moment of pleasure or peace. Or it may be something that seems rather insignificant. Look at it. Pray about it. Allow the prayer to arise spontaneously from your heart—whether intercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude.” [1]
I thank God for the ability to take stock, to go the extra step and look over my daily activities. And—a significant thing about this activity is that God shows up! God directs me as I look at my day. Sometimes, I become even more aware of God’s presence with me, moment by moment.
Thanks, God. I needed that.
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[1] http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/how-can-i-pray
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