Prayer that Cultivates Discernment
God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart.
Examine me through and through;
find out everything that may be hidden within me.
Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.
See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on,
and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways—
the path that brings me back to you.
Psalm 139:23-24 TPT
Discernment can be defined as a perception without judgement with a view to obtain spiritual guidance and understanding.
One tool that can help increase discernment is an ancient church practice known as the prayer of Examen. The Examen is prayerful reflection of your day, with a focus on detecting God’s presence and discerning his leading. This practice can help draw attention to God’s presence and handiwork throughout your day.
A simple format for this prayer is outlined below:
1. Become aware of God’s presence. Review your day in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Ask God to speak into areas that may seem confusing or troubling.
2. Review the day with gratitude. Gratitude is foundational. Notice the joys and delights of the day the while remaining aware of God’s presence. Consider what you did and your interactions with others. What did you receive? What did you give? Notice small details that brought you gladness or demonstrated God’s loving care for you.
3. Pay attention to your emotions. The movements of our emotions can provide insight into the activity of God. For example, feelings of peace can illuminate his presence. Resentment can highlight areas to bring before the Lord for further transformation. The Lord may draw attention to areas we resist yielding to Him. He may desire to speak into the emotions related to our resistance.
Reflect on the feelings you experience and ask God for insight. It is possible that frustration can be an invitation to seek God for direction regarding change. Concern for a friend could be an invitation to reach out. Anger could be an invitation to conversation with God about an injustice or it could indicate an opportunity to grow in Christ-like love and humility. Allow the Lord to speak and bring clarity.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. Ask Holy Spirit to highlight one aspect of your day. It could be positive or negative. It could be a personal interaction or moment of joy. It could be something big or small. Review it in the Lord’s presence and talk with Him about it. You may find yourself in intercession, praise, repentance, or gratitude. Allow the Spirit to lead.
5. Look toward tomorrow. Ask God to give you light for tomorrow’s challenges. Notice your feelings and allow them to lead to prayer. Seek God’s guidance, wisdom, and hope for the day ahead.
This is a conversation with Jesus. Although it centers on our own experience, emotions, and response to God, it is not a self-centered practice. Those we impact benefit as we strengthen connection with the Lord, “clear our lenses” and become further shaped into His image.
As you remain in his presence in a posture of gratitude, you will find your life is full of gifts from God.
If you would daily guidance in practicing this exercise, you can download the free Pray As You Go app.