Every day we wake up early in the morning in a rush to get either to our places of work or school. We bear the traffic during the rush hour either in noisy ‘matatus’ or in a silent bus, in which case most of the passengers try to enjoy the last of their nap before the day actually begins. As the day goes by, depending on the nature of work, we get absorbed into various activities. In the evening, we are in a rush again to get back home, almost the same hustle as the morning while for others, the end of the day is punctuated by a tipple on their way home. Once we get home, we are so tired we just eat and sleep off; for others, it’s just the latter. On average, this is what we go through daily. We are always on the move. In our free time, all we can think about is who has posted a new status on Facebook, what’s trending on Twitter currently, or catching up with a best friend or spouse on Whatsapp. If it’s not social media, it’s a short nap or a chat with a workmate in the office. In other words, our current generation contains people who have no time for themselves and no time for one of the most ignored aspects of our lives; silence and meditation.

Do we look back and actually reflect on what we have done during the day? For a business person, every day has to be accounted for. A profit or loss has to be recorded by the end of the day and it is done through proper analysis using various systems or just manually. Banks do the same daily after work hours. But do we do it with ourselves? Our lives too, frequently require a proper analysis of our relationships with others, our spiritual lives, of our own inner selves. Reflecting back on our daily activities is just as important as drinking water and is best done in silence.

Silence is Gold

One of the key things a person who wants to begin a life of prayer needs to learn is to enjoy silence. Silence is golden. It is among the best gifts one could get daily. We usually misinterpret silence as boredom. When the power goes off, we get angry and either send angry tweets at KPLC or go to bed immediately. For a person that has a radio that uses a battery, the first thought that comes to mind is turning it on to kill the silence and utter boredom, instead of embracing this quiet time for meditation.

Silence is the first step to a successful prayer life. Being alone in silence helps you think more clearly. Try to enjoy the silence as it is. If you don’t like silence, it is very difficult to pray. When in silence, you will find out that you are not alone and from there you can start your conversation; a conversation with God. It is not just talking to God but also listening to Him too. A 3-5 minute meditation can be enough for one day, just being in the presence of God. This is called a daily examination of conscience. We should always remember that an unexamined life is not worth living.

The Daily Examination of Conscience

The Daily Examination of Conscience is a prayer technique to help us reflect on the events of the day to discern God’s presence and direction. This could be done twice daily – at noon or at the end of the day. Christians are encouraged to do this practice daily. It is done as follows:

1. Become aware of God’s presence
   “God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you love me.”
2. Review the day with gratitude
   “God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.”
3. Pay attention to your emotions
   “God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.”
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it
   “God, forgive me for when I have not done my best or have failed to treat others well. Encourage me, guide me, and continue to bless me.”
5. Look toward tomorrow
   “As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.”