Prayer Review

Prayer review

During your prayer period, you need the freedom to move and flow with whatever is arising and to go wherever God may be leading. It is not the time to analyse your experience or try to understand what God may be saying to you. Doing this will only hinder his communication. Why? Because you've stopped listening to do something else!

Journal

The prayer review is a reflection on your prayer period. This is where you begin to discern God’s leading. You will need to write these reflections in a journal to help you build a picture of where God is leading you over time.
You should not view your journal as a database of facts. The primary role of the journal is to help you look back at your prayer review, to determine how to move forward. It is to help you respond to God.

Prayer review method

Ask yourself the questions below to get the most out of your prayer review. Make a note of the specific part of your prayer that gave rise to what the question asks, as you will need this information for the prayer repetition. For example, if you were using imaginative prayer, and a desire arose, was it caused by a particular action, sight, feeling, conversation or something else you heard?

Questions
  • What desires arose?
  • Were you drawn to anything? Was there anything you wanted to stay with?
  • Did anything repel you? Was there anything you wanted to move away from and avoid?
  • How do you feel about what happened in the prayer?
  • What feelings arose during the prayer? Which was the strongest?
  • What thoughts came to mind? Which was the most prevalent?
  • Was there a movement toward God or away from him?
  • Was there an increase in faith, hope or love? Which?
  • What was your mood before and after the prayer? Did it change?
  • Is there something you should return to in your next prayer period?
  • Did you receive a grace you sought?
  • Is there an action you wish to take?
  • After the prayer, do you feel any consolation or desolation?