Prayer Before An Exam
April 23rd, 2004 by Editor BNational Library Week is almost over.
I work in a library. To be more precise, I work in a building which houses a library. I don’t actually work for or in the library proper. But I do have to pass through the library to get to my office.
And so I’ve been aware of National Library Week because of the displays that I see in the library lobby. There’s a big gift-wrapped box; I think they are raffling off some prizes.
There’s also a rack of yellow cards marked “Prayer Before an Exam — Take One.” It may seem funny to see such a display in a university library, but this is a Catholic school after all. One of the nuns on the faculty made a wisecrack about the prayer cards yesterday: “God, please bail me out at the last minute.”
Today I took one of the cards. It has a prayer on one side, and there’s a number two pencil taped to the back. The prayer appears to be taken from Prayers That Avail Much for Teens, though there’s no citation so I’m not sure. It’s kind of long — maybe 500 words. I found this passage amusing:
Father, as I enter to take this exam, I ask You to help me. Grant me wisdom and show me how to take the test, so that I gain the most points and make the best grade I can make…
Or how about this:
I will study hard and do my best. Where I come up short, I believe that You can make up the difference.
To be fair, most of the prayer is not like that. Mostly it’s about maintaining one’s confidence, studying effectively, using one’s knowledge, staying calm, working honestly, and so forth. For example, here’s a passage I really like:
Because love casts out all fear, I won’t let fear cloud or block my thinking.
Since I’m not a theist myself, I’m always a little skeptical of prayers. I can only interpret a prayer’s value in terms of the thoughts it might instill in the one who prays, rather than as a communication to a divine being. Supernatural intervention is not the main emphasis here. Instead, it aims to put the student into a good frame of mind, to create a positive attitude. I could imagine that a religious person might actually get some benefit from this meditation.
September 22nd, 2007 at 7:36 pm
i would like to ask for your help to pray for the success of my upcoming NCLEX-RN exam on OCtober4, 2007…marie ann
November 9th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
please pray for me for my upcoming nclex rn exam tomorrow nov. 10. 2007 at 8 am. thank you
November 19th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
God with the help of my faith,trust and the supports of your deciples in reaching out to you my intentions please give me and to my wife the strength,focus and the ability to come up into the BEST Answer in answering any single questions in our up coming Nursing Licensure Exam on December 1-2 2007.. Sit with us o lord and i know that even we give are best to reach the 99.9% of answering 0.1% is you my lord deciding what are good for us..thank you oh lord..Amen..
November 27th, 2007 at 10:09 pm
O Lord Jesus Christ to Your most Sacred Heart I confide this intention, that I may pass the Nursing Licensure Exam this coming December 1-2, 2007.
Only look upon me, then do what Your heart inspires, let your Sacred Heart decide… I count on You, I trust in You. I throw myself on Your mercy.
Lord Jesus You will not fail me
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me.
Sacred Heart of Jesus I have asked for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Your Sacred Heart. When the Eternal Father sees it covered with Your precious blood, He will not refuse it. It will be no longer my prayers, but Yours, O Jesus. I place my trust in You. Let me never be confounded. Amen.
December 4th, 2007 at 6:41 am
please i need a millions of prayers my nclex-rn exam is this coming december 10 ;07 @ 9am…thanks and God bless you all
December 16th, 2007 at 12:33 am
Lord, I offer to you everything! Please guide me all the way!
January 13th, 2008 at 6:22 am
oh…lord please help me with my upcoming exams..please help me revise well and let me take it into my head. When i am about to take my exams please lord stay with me and help me..in you i place all my trust.please god help me pass my exams or even do wellin them. Amen
January 22nd, 2008 at 6:48 am
O Lord, Help Me pass all my exams in the grace of your name so that I my fufill my purpose in life and accomplish it well so that when I return to You will be proud of my achievements.
Amen
January 25th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Lord I also pray that you may be by my side amidst the turmoil of the exams that would degrade my being, Oh Lord I pray that I may surpass with Thee with flying colors imbued with Christian values that I may know I along the way that I can make it through in my course of Accountancy. Amen
For all the glory is to God forever. Amen
St. Anthony Mary Claret Pray for us
St Thomas Aquinas Pray for us
St. Therese Pray for us
St. Joseph Pray for us
St. Joan of Arc Pray for us
All saints Pray for us
Amen
February 7th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Oh god my shepherd. 2 day as usual im asking your help god 2morro 8th Feb. I have a big exam coming god I’m 2 scared I don’t even know what 2 eve thou I’m trying my best ? Please god help me .just be there next 2 me. god u always save my life I can’t even finished talking about u .what u done for me since I was born u r amazing wonderful god I can’t live without u god I need u in my life I love u so much from my bottom of my heart.
February 12th, 2008 at 10:35 am
O Lord, Jesus Christ, I confide in you this intention that I my pass my np board exam. I put my trust in you that you will be there with me and guide me. I have put my effort and soul into my studies and now I will place it in your hands Lord, Jesus Christ that you will give me your mercy.
Amen.
March 6th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
Please pray for me that i can pass my taks test tommorow.give me the help and strength to pass.
March 10th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
I truly belive that god will help anyone who calls upon his name. These prayers have gave me encouragement and I hope it continues to help others. May God bless are of you! AMEN!!!1
March 11th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
WOW B!
Interesting string you’ve got going here!
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:55 am
pls pray for my sister who is soon to take her licensure examinations, and i pray that God be with you during your examinations! thank you and God Bless!
May 6th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Dear god I ask of your favor and glory to help me pass my nclex RN exam. I ask you to give me wisdom, understanding and knowledge on May 12,2007. I ask you to enable me to get more answer wright than wrong. I ask you to instill yourself within me on that day and guide me to success on my Nclex RN exam.
May 17th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Sacred heart of Jesus I humbly request thy prescnce and help when WE appear for our DNB and MRCPCH exam on 7/8 June 2008. I WE cannot do anything without your help.
May 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
PLS PRAY FOR MY SISTER TO PASS NURSING BOARD EXAM THIS COMMING JUNE 1 AND 2 , 2008
OH LORD PLS HELP MY SISTER TO PASS HER EXAM
AMEN
May 31st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Lord God,
today and tomorrow is the day Lord God, may you bless me and enllighten me as i take the board exam today and tomorrow. guide me to stay relaz and send me the Holy Spirit to guide me to the right answers Lord. it is you and I Lord will answer it Lord. be with me Lord. I pray Lord that it would be easy for me to answer the exam lord because i know your with me Lord. .i praise you lord God, I Love You and i Adore You. i ask this in Your Holy Name and use it for Your Glory.AMEN.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Please Lord sit with me when I take my Psychology exam , I trust in you and know you will guide me to do well, I trust that you will help me to fulfill my purpose you have set for me in this life.
Amen
June 24th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I’m taking my LVN examination tomorrow. Please pray for me.
June 24th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
i will be taking my LVN exam on Friday June 27th, 2008. i would greatly appreciate it if everyone were to keep me in their prayers! thank you and good luck to everyone!
Lord please answer all our prayers
(:
June 28th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Pleas pray for me for the success of my upcoming NCLEX exam this coming July 10, 2008 at 9:00 A.M in New Delhi. God Bless .. Maribel
July 8th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
hi! please inlude me in your prayer that i could walk normal again. that my foot drop would heal as soon as possible. that i would not be depressed and frustrated with i am going through at this very moment. hope you u will pray for me!
July 21st, 2008 at 8:09 pm
GOD MY BEST FRIEND IS TAKING A VERY IMPORTANT TEST TOMORROW. GIVE HER THE CONFIDENCE SHE NEEDS TO PASS THIS TEST AND GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL IN HER CARRER. I ASK THIS IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST . THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY PRAYER.
July 23rd, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Dear Heavenly Father, tomorrow I take the NCLEX RN exam. I Pray that you will be with me. I pray for your grace for this exam and I pray that I will have wisdom and understanding and I will have the recall to the right answer. Father I know that I am here because you alone let me be here, you have brought me to this place, and I thank you for it. I just pray that tomorrow July 24, 2008 will be the beginning of my dedication to you my life as a Registered Nurse. I praise you and Thank you that You are my GOD and that you helped me to get to this point. I thank you that you will be here with me tomorrow!!! In Jesus Name, AMEN and AMEN
July 30th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Dear Heavenly Father, today is my last test for physics and this grade will be doubled. I pray that you give me the knowledge and wisdom to retain what I’m trying to study right now, so that I may pass this exam with a score that would help me to pass the overall course. I need you Lord. Lord, I know that you created me with a purpose and I will try my best to make you proud. Lord, help me to focus when my mind starts to wonder. Help me to have faith in myself and to become a more diligent and serious person. Thank you for all that you’ve done for me and allowing me to be here today and right now. For all these good things I pray. Amen.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:06 am
As I join the string Oh God I pray that you grant me exam success in my USMLE step 1 coming up this september, I can only do this thru JESUS Christ that stengthens me, I ask for the 99th percentile Oh God that all glory belongs to you .Amen
August 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 am
Dear God!
I am here to ask for your guidance and help for the exam of my daughter tomorrow. Please help my daughter to pass these exams. In the name of God The Holy Spirit please guide us…Thank you Lord for everything…Thank you!!!
August 8th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
prayer before exam
sometimes i feel a little strange,praying to you because of an Exam.
it doesn’t really seem all that significant when you consider
the “big picture”.
but right now,the test looms so
large that it is all i can see before me
August 8th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
ok
August 8th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
sometimes I feel a little strange
praying to you because of an Exam.
It doesn’t really seem all that significant,
when you consider the “big picture”.
but right now ,the test looms so
large that it is all i can see before me.
i pray to you for 3 things:
-the strength to handle the pressure that feel.
-the confidence to feel secure .
help me lord to pass the Exam.amen
August 8th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
PRAYER BEFORE EXAMINATIONS
Lord,
it seems as though our lives are one test after another, weighing us in somebody’s balance.
Save us from taking the coming tests
too seriously or too lightly,
but grant that we may reflect
the best of the work we’ve done
and the best of the teaching we’ve received. . . .
lord pls help me to join our top 10 in the class
August 11th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Dear Lord,
Please help me in my Quarter Exam. Please guide me while I’m doing the test. Our test is about Religion, so please help me.