Ignite is modeled after the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. As such, it includes distinctly “Ignatian” methods of prayer. This guide explains how you will be guided through prayer in Ignite and names some of these Ignatian ways of praying.

Guide to Prayer

As a retreat, Ignite is about stepping away from distractions to connect more deeply with God in prayer. Fasting and community can help, but only prayer establishes and supports direct relationship with God. Like a flame, prayer needs to be steady or else it flickers out. In Ignite, that means choosing to pray a holy hour and an Examen each day.

Holy Hour

The phrase “holy hour” refers to the practice of dedicated, uninterrupted prayer, but it isn’t necessarily a literal hour. Don’t worry too much about the time, but if your holy hour is taking you less than 20 minutes, allow more time to relax and rest in the prayer. This kind of prayer is different from what you may be used to, so follow the guide below as you get started.

• Begin by becoming aware of God’s presence, then pray the Suscipe. Each reflection in the app begins with this prayer of total surrender to God’s grace. Composed by Saint Ignatius, the Suscipe asks God to take away everything that blocks us off from God’s love, the desire at the heart of the Ignite retreat. As you spend more time discerning what graces you hope to receive and what attachments you need to surrender, you will have the opportunity to rewrite the Suscipe in your own words.
• Read the reflection. The reflection plays the role that would be filled by a spiritual director in an ordinary retreat. It guides your prayer, offers insights, and directs you through the retreat. Each reflection ends with several questions to direct the rest of your prayer.
• Pray with the content of the reflection. This is your time to ask God to reveal something deeper to you.
• Pray on your own. If the content of the reflection is particularly rich, feel free to continue meditating on it, otherwise, this is your opportunity to bring to God whatever else is on your mind and heart and to let God speak to you. This is an ideal time to practice a method of prayer you already know, or to learn a new one.
• Contemplate. End your prayer by simply resting in God’s presence, listening for anything God might have to say, and conclude with gratitude.

Examen

The Examen is an Ignatian prayer of gratitude in which you ask God to help you examine your day, noticing the blessings you received and the ways you failed to respond to God’s grace. This prayer is at the heart of Jesuit spirituality, and paired with the Suscipe, it is the core of prayer in Ignite. If you’d like to be led through through the examen, or if you find yourself getting easily distracted, consider using this audio guide.

If you miss a daily holy hour, don’t give up, just read two reflections on the following day. If you miss an Examen, try to make an additional Examen the next morning or at noon.

A retreat in daily life provides an opportunity for a depth and amount of prayer that can seem daunting, even for participants who are comfortable with regular prayer. Just like human language, communication with God is something we’re created for, but it’s also a skill that can be practiced and learned. Read the tips below for some help in cultivating fruitful prayer.

Prayerful Practices

• Try new ways to pray. God speaks to each of us uniquely, and new ways of prayer help us hear God’s voice in new ways. Take a look at the “Ways to pray” below.
• Choose a time for regular prayer. As with physical exercise, spiritual exercise is easiest when you make a routine and stick to it.
• Pray at a time you can be alert and undistracted. Your examen can be any time in the evening, but it’s much easier to make your examen every day after dinner than the minute before your head hits the pillow.
• Find a “fireplace.”" A fireplace is a location where your spiritual fire can burn. It’s tough to pray when you’re surrounded by distractions, so find a quiet, holy place where you are comfortable. A campus church, a residence hall chapel, or a special spot in your dorm room all make good fireplaces. Places with spiritual imagery to direct your focus are ideal, but if none are available, it may be helpful to imagine your own fireplace by closing your eyes and visualizing a place you find God.
• Keep a journal. Writing or even drawing as you pray can help you stay focused. You can also return to what you’ve written and pray with it again at a later date.
• Pray throughout the day. Jesuits are contemplatives in action. So in addition to your holy hour, you can pray like a Jesuit by taking advantage of the small moments in between the action of your life. Driving to work, walking to class, or waiting in line are excellent opportunities for quick check-ins with God.
• Don’t get discouraged. Even the disciples had to ask Jesus how to pray (Lk11:1). Trust that even if you don’t think you’re “doing it right” or you don’t feel God all the time, just trying to pray is an act of love and prayer. If you’re getting frustrated or bored, try breathing calmly and deeply, while asking “Lord, teach me how to pray” between breaths.
• It’s okay if you don’t feel connected in prayer all the time, but if you are consistently finding prayer difficult, unfruitful, or frustrating, consider reaching out to a campus minister, pastor, or other spiritual director you trust.

Ways to Pray

Since you will likely be spending more time in prayer than you are used to, it is helpful to try new ways to pray and find what allows you to connect with God most deeply. Below is a list of some common ways to pray, but you can try any way that you find fruitful.

Ignatian Methods of Prayer

1. Ignatian Contemplation: Praying with gospel stories using your imagination.
2. Examen: Asking God to help you examine your day. Jesuits pray this once at noon and once in the evening.
3. Contemplative Word Prayer: Praying a written prayer but pausing after each word to contemplate its meaning
4. Ignatius’ prayer with rhythmic breathing: Taking a breath between each word of a prayer
5. Suscipe

Other methods

1. Spontaneous Prayer: Simply talking to God
2. Journaling Prayer: Essentially writing a letter to God
3. Lectio Divina: Reading, Meditating on, and contemplating Scripture
4. Contemplative Prayer: Simply resting in God’s presence
5. Rote Prayers: Prayers that are read or memorized. Pray them as they are, or rewrite them to fit your way of speaking. Click the link for a list of common Ignatian prayers.

Catholic Devotions

1. Rosary
2. Liturgy of the Hours