Second Presbyterian Church + Portsmouth, OH 

Prayer Experiment#2

(Wednesdays at 5:30 pm - 801 Waller St, Portsmouth OH 45662) 

 

Before we started recording, we reflected on last week's prayer experiments, sharing what was helpful and what wasn't. Some who struggle with staying focused or paying attention especially appreciated the physical cues of crossing their thumbs in a way that was not natural or praying with palms up helped to keep their mind focused. Others said even if they didn't actually pray more regularly, they THOUGHT about praying much more than usual. And we decided that's a great first step! 

We also had a discussion about creating a designated prayer space in our homes - a "prayer chair" or space - where we would have all the tools we would need for structuring a prayer time. 

Of course, prayer can happen at any time and any location, but if your goal is to be more regular or faithful in your prayer life, a structure can help you to be more disciplined. That's part of what we're focusing on in the beginning: creating a regular practice of prayer within the rhythm of our day.  

 

Experiment #2  The Daily Examen 

Today's topic is the "daily examen," "a technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience."
 

(Read more about it here: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/.)

 

The framework used for a simple daily examen in this podcast comes from the book, Sleeping with Bread. The handout below includes a more detailed format that can also be followed. 

   

Download this handout to follow along with the experiments:  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1StIqdywLC2m8y5ce_NNLD5zeJoe7lYEY/view?usp=sharing

One of the group members led the evening prayer using a service from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. As soon as I get that service, I will upload it so you can follow along with that at the end of the podcast.