Read

Nervous for a Big Test? Say These Prayers

Published:
January 9, 2024
November 16, 2020
Recite these prayers before taking a test.

The big moment is coming: that test that could determine a big part of the final grade. You’ve studied as much as you could — or at least as much as seemed reasonable. What else can you do?

Rather than one more flip through your flashcards, why not pause and say a prayer? Whether it feels like a Hail Mary pass to get across the finish line, or a simple request to be calm enough for your hard work to pay off, a prayer is a way to situate what we study with God, who is truth, and who truly desires to help us in our times of need.

As with all prayers, it can be helpful to use words that many people have prayed through the years, though it is always good to simply share our thoughts and desires with God in our own words. Here are a few possible starting points:

O God,
You are proclaimed
the true font of light and wisdom.
Pour forth a ray of your brightness
into the darkened places of my mind.
Grant to me keenness of mind,
capacity to remember, skill in learning,
subtlety to interpret, and eloquence in speech.
May you guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress, and bring it to completion.
Amen.
—Adapted from St. Thomas Aquinas’s prayer for students

Dear God,
in the Bible, St. Paul says that he is
“confident that the One who began a good work in you
will continue to complete it
until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thank you for the good work you have begun in me
in giving me my mind, this opportunity for study,
and all I have learned so far.
Help me cooperate with your good work
and reap the fruits of my study on my upcoming test.
May all that I learn and all that I do be a way to
know, love, and serve you, the loving God who made me for yourself.
Amen.

Creators:
Mary Ann Wilson
Published:
January 9, 2024
November 16, 2020
On a related note...
How I Found Spiritual Peace in My Running Routine

How I Found Spiritual Peace in My Running Routine

Mary Grace Mangano

Meet Dan Berrigan, Prophet for Peace

Meet Dan Berrigan, Prophet for Peace

Renée Roden

Entering the Convent at Age 23

Entering the Convent at Age 23

Grotto

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 11: Coming Forth with Father James Martin

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 11: Coming Forth with Father James Martin

Grotto, Ebony Moxey, Javi Zubizarreta

3 Reasons You Should Be Watching 'The Good Place'

3 Reasons You Should Be Watching 'The Good Place'

Josh Noem

Cambrae Fox Sings 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' | #SeekChristmas

Cambrae Fox Sings 'It Came Upon a Midnight Clear' | #SeekChristmas

Grotto

This Company Gives People a Second Chance at Life

This Company Gives People a Second Chance at Life

Grotto

Benefits of Atheist-Catholic Relationships

Benefits of Atheist-Catholic Relationships

Isaac Huss

12 Ways to Spend a Volunteer Year

12 Ways to Spend a Volunteer Year

Marye Colleen Larme

Meet This Chicago South Sider on the Road to Sainthood

Meet This Chicago South Sider on the Road to Sainthood

Clarissa Aljentera

Yes, Catholicism Can Be Weird — Maybe That’s the Best Part?

Yes, Catholicism Can Be Weird — Maybe That’s the Best Part?

John Dougherty

The Value of Memento Mori in this Pandemic

The Value of Memento Mori in this Pandemic

Chris Hazell

What the First Year of Marriage is Really Like

What the First Year of Marriage is Really Like

Krista Steele

What My Cancer Taught Me About Hope

What My Cancer Taught Me About Hope

Mary Beth May

God Sees the Color of My Skin

God Sees the Color of My Skin

Grotto Shares

Learning from the Social-Distance Experts

Learning from the Social-Distance Experts

Grotto Shares

3 Mary-Inspired Resolutions to Set (& Keep) This Year

3 Mary-Inspired Resolutions to Set (& Keep) This Year

Krista Steele

St. Andrew Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Andrew Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

“The Clamour of the Heart”

“The Clamour of the Heart”

Maisy Williams

The “Media Nun” Brings Joy to the Internet

The “Media Nun” Brings Joy to the Internet

Grotto

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.