This Review of the Day is a prayer of looking back. It is not just reflecting on what has gone wrong, but a wider look at what has happened during my day – the good things and the bad things – trying to see where God has been moving.

So the first thing I need to do… is stop. No matter what I am worrying about, no matter what’s on my mind. Stop.
God is with me – quiet perhaps, but present none the less. God is here with me now.
I remember that God has created all things. Everything I have is a gift from God.
Is there something that I would especially like to give thanks for today?
Now I ask God to shine his light into my heart so that when I look back over the day I may be able to see God working in the things that have happened. So that I may see more clearly, I ask God for that light.
Now I begin to remember through the day, starting from when I woke up.
I remember the people I met and the things that happened.
On the whole was it a good day or a bad day?
Was it a normal day? or was it unusual in some way?
Who did I meet during the day?
Did I come across something surprising – a long-lost friend, or an awkward old enemy?
Does something special come to mind…
a beautiful sunset? something I was told? Something I saw on TV?
In all the things that have happened, how did I feel?
Was I joyful, or sad, or angry or frightened?
Maybe I felt great and was really happy? Can I remember how I felt as the day went on?
And what was the cause of those feelings? …did my mood change during the day?
God guides us through our moods and feelings. Normally the way of God is (in a deep sense) peaceful and consoling. If your day was disturbed or if you were uneasy, can you sense where that uneasiness was coming from?
Like a sailing boat, buffeted by many different winds, we are affected by many different feelings. The better we come to know these swirling breezes, the easier it will be to see the perhaps subtle movements of God in our lives.
An important question to ask now is: What can I be proud of today?
There will be things. If you can’t think of anything, then you haven’t looked hard enough! What happened today that I can be proud of? Whatever it is, I give thanks for this.
But also, did I turn away from God during the day? Maybe I turned a blind eye when it suited me? Did I recognise God in that homeless man, that annoying child or that spiteful old woman? When I look back on this day, can I recall any way I might have shut God out? turned my back on him? ignored him?
I ask forgiveness for anything I may have done to ignore or hinder God’s love during the day that has passed. And I ask especially for the graces of healing and strength.
The final part of the prayer is to look forward to tomorrow. We are people of hope. Let us remember that God will be with us then. What am I expecting to happen tomorrow? What am I looking forward to? What are the dangers and difficulties I might face? Where might I most need God’s help?
I ask for that help now, and I ask that I may never forget that God is with me always, present in all things, gently guiding me towards fullness of life.
Lord, may I see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.