Step 1
Presence
Lord, You are here.
End the day in prayer
Daily Examen
A peaceful way to review the day with God.
The Daily Examen is a prayerful review of the day. With the help of the Holy Spirit, you look back with gratitude, notice God's presence, ask for mercy, and entrust the night to the Lord.
Step-by-step guide
Pray the Daily Examen
A step-by-step guide for ending the day with God.
- 1
Become aware of God's presence
Pause. Take a slow breath. Make the Sign of the Cross. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the day with truth and mercy.
Holy Spirit, help me see this day as You see it.
- 2
Give thanks
Look for gifts from the day: a moment of peace, a person, a grace, a protection, a small success, or even strength to endure something hard.
Lord, thank You for the gifts You gave me today.
- 3
Review the day
Walk through the day gently from morning to night. Notice where you felt close to God, where you resisted grace, where love was present, and where you were distracted or closed.
Jesus, show me where You were present today.
- 4
Ask forgiveness and receive mercy
Name any sins, failures, harsh words, missed opportunities, selfishness, impatience, pride, fear, or lack of charity. Do not hide from God. Bring it to His mercy.
Lord Jesus, have mercy on me. Help me begin again.
- 5
Look toward tomorrow
Ask God for grace for tomorrow. Choose one virtue, one act of love, one repair, or one small step of faith.
Father, give me the grace to follow You tomorrow.
- 6
Rest in God
Entrust your worries, unfinished work, family, sufferings, and sleep to God. End with the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, or a simple prayer of surrender.
Into Your hands, Lord, I place this day and this night.
5-minute version
A 5-Minute Daily Examen
For tired nights when you need something simple.
Step 2
Gratitude
Thank You for one gift today.
Step 3
Review
Where did I love? Where did I fail to love?
Step 4
Mercy
Jesus, forgive me and heal me.
Step 5
Tomorrow
Give me grace for one next step.
Step 6
Rest
I trust You with the night.
Guided prayer
A Guided Prayer for the End of the Day
Use this when you want words that gather gratitude, mercy, and trust into one simple prayer.
Lord Jesus,
I come before You at the end of this day.
Thank You for every grace,
every protection,
every person,
and every hidden gift.
Send Your Holy Spirit
to help me see this day with honesty and mercy.
Show me where I received Your love.
Show me where I gave love.
Show me where I failed to love.
Forgive my sins,
heal what is wounded,
and teach me to begin again.
I entrust tomorrow to You.
Give me the grace I need,
the humility to follow You,
and the peace to rest in Your care.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Amen.
Ignatian prayer
What Is the Daily Examen?
The Daily Examen is a prayerful review of the day in God's presence. It is especially associated with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Ignatian spirituality, but anyone can use it as a simple way to grow in awareness, gratitude, repentance, and trust.
It helps you notice God's presence.
It trains gratitude.
It reveals patterns of grace and resistance.
It helps you repent without despair.
It prepares your heart for tomorrow.
It can be prayed at night, midday, or anytime.
It should lead to peace, conversion, and trust.
Mercy and honesty
Daily Examen and Examination of Conscience
Both are helpful, but they serve slightly different moments in Catholic life.
Daily Examen
- reviews the day with God
- notices gratitude, grace, and resistance
- can be prayed daily
- helps spiritual awareness grow
- is gentle and relational
- ends in trust
Examination of Conscience
- prepares for Confession
- identifies sins honestly
- looks at commandments, virtues, and duties
- helps make a good confession
- should lead to contrition and mercy
- is especially useful before Reconciliation
For tonight
Choose an Examen for Tonight
Some nights need more peace, some more honesty, and some more surrender. Let the focus stay small and gentle.
Peace after a stressful day
Focus: Where did God sustain me today?
Lord, show me the grace that carried me when I felt hurried or burdened.
After conflict
Focus: Where do I need mercy, humility, or forgiveness?
Jesus, soften my heart and teach me how to repair what was wounded.
Before Confession
Focus: Where did I knowingly turn away from love?
Merciful Father, let truth bring me to repentance and peace.
For gratitude
Focus: What gifts did God give that I almost missed?
Thank You, Lord, for graces I would have forgotten without Your light.
For grief
Focus: Where was God near me in sorrow?
Jesus, stay close to me in what still aches.
For parents and families
Focus: Where did our home show patience, forgiveness, or love?
Lord, bless our home and help us begin again in peace.
For anxiety
Focus: What can I surrender to God tonight?
Into Your hands, Lord, I place what I cannot carry alone.
For discernment
Focus: What brought faith, hope, charity, peace, or greater love?
Holy Spirit, show me which movements led me closer to Christ.
Domestic church
Family Examen
Families can pray a short Examen together without making it heavy or shame-filled. Keep it simple and peaceful.
A simple family format
- What are we thankful for today?
- Where did we see God's help?
- Did we hurt anyone?
- Do we need to say sorry?
- Who needs our prayers tonight?
- What grace do we need tomorrow?
Short family prayer
Jesus, thank You for this day. Forgive us, bless us, and help our family love You tomorrow. Amen.
Journal prompts
Daily Examen Journal Prompts
Use these prompts slowly. You do not need to answer every one each night.
- What am I most grateful for today?
- Where did I notice God's presence?
- When did I feel peace, joy, or charity?
- Where did I resist grace?
- Did I speak or act without love?
- What do I need to ask forgiveness for?
- Who do I need to forgive?
- What is one grace I need tomorrow?
- What is one small act of love I can choose?
- What can I entrust to God before sleep?
Local-only tool
My Examen Reflection
Your reflection stays on this device unless you choose to copy or print it.
Night prayer
End with Night Prayer
The Daily Examen pairs naturally with Catholic night prayer. After reviewing the day, you can pray a Psalm, the Our Father, a Marian prayer, or Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours.
A short ending
Into Your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
Keep praying with the Church
Common questions
Common Questions
Short answers for beginners, returning Catholics, families, and anyone learning the Examen.
What is the Daily Examen?
The Daily Examen is a prayerful review of the day in God's presence, asking for light, gratitude, honesty, mercy, and grace for tomorrow.
Is the Examen Catholic?
Yes. The Examen is widely used in Catholic life and is especially associated with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Ignatian spirituality.
Is it only for Jesuits?
No. Anyone can pray the Examen as a simple way to end the day with gratitude, repentance, and trust.
When should I pray the Examen?
Many people pray it at night, but it can also be prayed at midday or whenever you can pause and review the day with God.
How long does it take?
A fuller Examen can take 10 minutes or more, but even a 5-minute version can be fruitful on tired or busy nights.
What if I fall asleep?
That can happen, especially at night. Offer your fatigue to God and begin again simply the next day without discouragement.
What if I only notice sins?
Begin again with gratitude and ask the Holy Spirit for balance. The Examen is meant to notice grace as well as failures.
What if the Examen makes me anxious?
Keep it gentle and rooted in mercy. Focus on gratitude and trust, and if it increases anxiety or scrupulosity, speak with a priest, spiritual director, or qualified professional.
Is this the same as an examination of conscience?
Not exactly. The Examen is a daily prayer of review and relationship with God, while an examination of conscience is often more directly ordered toward Confession.
Can children pray the Examen?
Yes. Keep it brief, peaceful, and simple: gratitude, one sorry, one prayer, and one hope for tomorrow.
Can non-Catholics pray the Examen?
Yes. Anyone can use it as a gentle way to reflect before God, ask for mercy, and grow in gratitude and honesty.
Should I write my Examen in a journal?
You can, especially if writing helps you notice patterns, remember grace, or prepare for Confession. Keep it simple enough to stay prayerful.
How does the Examen help Confession?
It helps you notice recurring sins, patterns, and graces over time, so you can come to Confession with honesty and hope.
What if I miss a day?
Simply begin again. The Examen is meant to form trust and fidelity, not pressure or perfectionism.
Related Daily Oratory tools
Keep the Examen Connected to the Rest of Catholic Life
Let this nightly prayer stay tied to Confession, Scripture, family prayer, virtue, and daily conversion.
Prayer
Keep daily prayer simple and steady from morning offering to night surrender.
Begin in Prayer
Confession Guide
Prepare for mercy and bring repentance to the sacrament with peace.
Prepare for Confession
Examination of Conscience
Use a fuller guided review when you are preparing for Reconciliation.
Start Examination
Rule of Life
Build a realistic Catholic rhythm of prayer, Scripture, virtue, and mercy.
Open Rule of Life
Virtue Tracker
Notice patterns, ask for grace, and choose one concrete next step.
Track Virtue
Scripture Prayer
Let the Word of God shape your review, repentance, and trust.
Pray with Scripture
Liturgy of the Hours
End the day with Night Prayer and the prayer of the whole Church.
Pray the Hours
Family and Domestic Church
Keep family prayer gentle, peaceful, and rooted in mercy.
Open Family Prayer
Formation
Grow in doctrine, virtue, prayer, and daily discipleship with the Holy Spirit.
Begin Formation
Body, Soul, and Spirit
Reflect on the soul as an interior temple and let the Examen lead toward healing, grace, and mercy.
Enter the Interior Temple
Ask for Prayer
Invite others to carry your intentions when the day has been heavy.
Ask for Prayer
Sources
Helpful Sources for the Daily Examen
Daily Oratory uses original summaries here and links outward when you want full Catholic source material.
Trusted Catholic source
Ignatian Spirituality: The Daily Examen
A trusted Catholic introduction to the Examen and its place within Ignatian prayer.
Ignatian Spirituality
Trusted Catholic source
Jesuits.org: The Examen
A Jesuit overview of the Ignatian Examen and its use as a daily prayer of awareness and review.
Jesuits.org
Official Church source
Vatican Catechism of the Catholic Church
The official Catechism, especially its teaching on prayer, conversion, contrition, and the Christian life.
The Vatican
Official Church source
USCCB Catholic Prayers
Official U.S. bishops' prayer resources that can pair naturally with the Examen and night prayer.
USCCB
Source and copyright note
Daily Oratory provides original summaries and prayer guides. It does not copy long external articles or copyrighted devotional materials. The Examen is commonly associated with Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Ignatian spirituality.