Goodnight, Emmanuel (A Five Minute Focus)
A prayer poem and devotional thought for bedtime
Goodnight, Emmanuel
Jesus, as I lay my head down tonight,
May my heart be filled with rejoicing,
For this day lived under your care.
May my mind be filled with reflection,
Of where I saw and felt your presence.
For you are indeed Emmanuel,
God with me
Today, tomorrow, forever.
You were present every minute of this day,
You will be present every minute this night,
Even when I am not aware,
For you are forever, Emmanuel.
Hallelujah!
Five Minute Focus
In the last post, we discussed the concept of a “Five Minute Focus on God” when waking up each day. Today, let’s expand the “Five Minute Focus” to bedtime. What do you do when you lay your head on the pillow each night? Do you block out everything and go to sleep in seconds? Do you rewind the day and play the video of the day’s activities in your head? Do you focus on where you “shoulda, coulda, oughta done better?” Why not have a “Five Minute Focus on God” before you go to sleep?
I call this the “Daily Debrief,” but it originated with Ignatius of Loyola in the 16th century. He called it the “Daily Examen” (examen means examination in Latin). Now, don’t let the name “Daily Examen” bother you — or the fact that this type of prayer was developed by a 16th-century monk. Throughout the ages, Christians have used, adapted, and added to this prayer to make it personal. In fact, that is why I have adapted it and called it the “Daily Debrief.”
The concept is very simple—review your day through the lens of prayer. This means not beating yourself up for failing during the day or patting yourself on the back for doing good. It means seeking God’s presence and giving an honest account of your day before him. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, exhorted them to see themselves through God’s lens.
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don't think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
Romans 12:3 NLT
So, how does the “Daily Debrief” work? It consists of five simple steps of reflection and prayer. Here is the process.
Recognize God’s Presence. We know that God is all-present, but personally, recognizing that fact helps us focus upon God and push everything else away. Let him know that you are focusing on him alone.
Review Your Day With Thanksgiving. Praise God for how he has blessed you during the day. Even if it was the most horrible, terrible, very bad day, God was there all the time with you. His presence alone is a reason for thanking him.
Replay Your Day. Think back through your day. What made it a good day? What made it a bad day? What made this day different from any other day? Where did you fall short? How did you disappoint God?
Repent Where You Fell Short. Holy Spirit showed you in step #3 where you sinned against God. Agree with him (confess) and then repent by telling God you are grieved for how you fell short and that you desire to do better.
Resolve To Do Better Tomorrow. Tell God that your desire for tomorrow is to listen to and follow his guidance through Holy Spirit and that you will depend on the Spirit for the strength to succeed.
The above is just a suggested outline. I adapted Ignatius’ examen to suit me. Feel free to adapt the above outline to suit you. The main thing is that committing to a “five-minute focus on God” at bedtime will help you in your journey of being formed into the image of Christ.
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Grace and Peace,