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# Looking Back With God
- URL: https://www.discipletofaith.com/looking-back-with-god/
- Published: 2026-05-16T11:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-29T18:08:39.000Z
- Author: Peter
- Tags: Spiritual Disciplines, Bible, Disciple to Faith, Discipleship, Examen, Faith, God, identity, integrity, Jesus, Look Back, Prayer, spiritual growth, #Migrated-1788026806796, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-29 18:06

*(The Spiritual Discipline of Examen)* 
*May 16 — Spiritual Disciplines | Discipleship in Real Life*

Most days pass quickly.

One moment leads into another:

- conversations
- responsibilities
- interruptions
- reactions
- decisions

And before long, the day is over.

Without reflection, it becomes easy to assume:  
nothing meaningful happened spiritually.

But the Examen teaches something different.

**God is often present in moments we move through too quickly to notice.**

**1\. The Day Holds More Than We Realize**

Much of spiritual formation happens quietly.

Not in dramatic experiences.

But in:

- responses
- emotions
- interruptions
- moments of attention
- moments of resistance

The Examen slows us down long enough to look again.

Not to analyze obsessively.

To notice prayerfully.

**2\. Reflection Reveals Patterns**

When you review your day honestly, patterns begin to emerge.

You notice:

- where peace was present
- where gratitude surfaced
- where impatience appeared
- where fear shaped your response
- where distraction pulled your attention away

These moments matter.

Because they reveal how your inner life is being formed.

**3\. God Was Present the Whole Time**

One of the most comforting truths of the Examen is this:

God’s presence was not limited to the moments when you noticed Him.

He was present:

- in the conversation
- in the interruption
- in the frustration
- in the quiet moment you almost overlooked

The Examen teaches us to recognize:  
God has been nearer than we realized.

**4\. This Is Not About Self-Condemnation**

It’s important to say this clearly:

The Examen is not spiritual self-criticism.

You are not reviewing your day to:

- shame yourself
- perform better
- obsess over mistakes

You are learning:

- awareness
- honesty
- repentance
- gratitude

The goal is not perfection.

It is attentiveness.

**5\. Reflection Deepens Trust**

As you begin noticing the movements of your day, something changes.

You become:

- more aware of your reactions
- more attentive to grace
- more honest about resistance
- more grateful for God’s quiet faithfulness

Over time, this creates deeper trust.

Because you begin seeing:  
God has been walking with you all along.

**6\. A Practice for May 16**

At the end of today, pause before moving on.

Prayerfully review your day.

Ask:

- Where did I notice God’s presence?
- Where did I resist Him?
- Where did I feel most alive?
- Where did I drift?

Don’t rush the answers.

Just notice them honestly.

Then entrust the day back to God.

**The Invitation**

May 16 reminds us that discipleship is not only shaped in big moments.

It is formed in:

- ordinary conversations
- unnoticed reactions
- daily choices
- quiet awareness

The Examen teaches us to look back with God rather than simply moving forward without reflection.

Because the more attentively you review your life,  
the more clearly you begin to recognize grace woven throughout it.

Monday through Saturday.

One day at a time.