This week, we feature some of our CHC parents on how they are encouraging and praying for their children using their favorite Bible verse. May you be blessed as we go through this journey together!
We also prepared a list of ‘Exam Prayer Scriptures’ specially for you, as you pray for your child during this exam season.
Joy Toh
I always tell my daughter, Jadalyn, not to be afraid. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). Go on and do your best. You never know what you can do till you put in your very best for God. Then you can live with no regrets after the PSLE. You will know, deep down, you have given your best to study for the glory of God and you can look forward to what God has in store for you.
I also tell Jadalyn that she has a destiny. She has God on the inside of her and she is an overcomer. So she has to be faithful and diligent over her studies.
Jesus, I commit Jadalyn into Your hands. Give her wisdom in her heart and strength to do what she needs. Help her to plan her time. There is a time for everything. Give her a disciplined focus so that she will be a good finisher for the things she needs to do. We believe in You, that as she does her best, You, oh God, will do the rest. You are in charge. We pray for favor, for understanding of questions and wisdom to answer accordingly. We ask for a sharp mind and confidence in You, and in herself. For You will strengthen her. By Your grace, we know she will get the desired outcome. Jesus, we give You thanks. We want to glorify You and honor You. We love You. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
Ps Edmund Tay
I pray Luke 2:52 over the children and believe that even as “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52)”, God will increase His wisdom, stature and favor over them.
Father, we commit our children into Your hands. As they prepare for their exams, we pray that the wisdom of God will come upon their lives. As they prepare for the upcoming exams, may they be able to focus and understand the work presented to them. On the day of the exams, You will bless them with wisdom to understand the questions and to apply what they have learned through out the paper. Most of all, we pray for Your peace to come upon them, and that they will learn to lean upon You, and to cast their worries into Your hands. Father, we pray let Your will be done in their lives. Amen!
Jane Ho
I love praying with my three children when I drive them to school everyday! In fact, it has developed into a great habit and norm where we start the day right with God. We will take turns to pray for one another, which helps us to be sensitive to God and to one another’s needs. And I’ve seen how they have grown closer to our Abba Father and to one another too in the process!
These are two verses I love to encourage them with during their exams:
1) Philippians 4:13, where it says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”; and
2) 2 Tim 1:7 , “God has not given us the spirit of fear , but of power and of love and of sound mind.”
Cynthia Yen
Heavenly Father, we ask for your grace on our children during this season where they are literally put to the test. We ask for your favor upon them, for their minds to be alert, their memories to be sharp and for their nerves to be calm. We pray for them to be able to concentrate and excel in this test of learning and understanding. We ask that their recall be excellent and are able to answer each question well.
We also pray for their well being in body, soul and spirit, and for Your gentle hand to be on them when they rest at night. We pray for the mothers, fathers and caregivers of the children taking the exams. We pray for wisdom, kindness and understanding to come upon them when the pressure of the exams becomes too great for them and their children.
We pray that our families to remember to always seek the kingdom of God first in all our pursuits, as we believe that all shall be added unto us who are righteous and faithful.
Carol Loi
Father, we lift up the P6s of CHC into Your hands. As they prepare to sit for their exams, we ask for Your peace that surpasses all understanding to be with them. For every paper that they take, we ask for clarity of mind so that they can recall what they have learned.
We pray over every teacher in every class and hall, and we pray that they will bring peace and calm to the children, and not fear or anxiety. May Your presence go with our children wherever they are.
We pray over every parent of the P6s too, that they will be able to overcome their own anxiety, and be strengthened in You to be the anchor and security that their children need. We seek Your wisdom as parents to be good stewards of the lives that You have planted in our homes, to be able to discover and nurture the gifts and talents that You have given each child; that these will be developed and used mightily in CHC 2.0.
We trust in Your Word that You have great plans for our children—plans that will not harm them, but plans that give them hope and a future. We thank You for Your love for our children. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen
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Praying before and during a test can help overcome test anxiety. Test anxiety affects everyone depending on how much pressure is felt to make a good grade. Test anxiety can range from mild to severe. When test anxiety is severe, studies show that students receive scores lower than those of other students who do not feel nervous, physically ill or distracted during a test. Test anxiety can occur in school, in college or in the work place.
Here is a prayer for you that can be prayed before the test and also has short, one-sentence prayers that can be prayed during the test to help you feel calmer and more focused.
Table of contents
Test Anxiety Prayer Using Scriptures
Repeat the following Scripture to begin the prayer:
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Psalm 139:23 NIV
Lord, I thank you that you know my heart and my thoughts. I thank you that you are the Good Teacher and that You do not need to test me in high pressure situations where I’m nervous about whether I’ll be able to perform well. Instead you know my true talents, my character and my capabilities. You know the hours of study I have put in and you know how well I understand the material for the upcoming test. It comforts me that you know my anxious thoughts and take them into account. I open myself up to you and your complete knowledge of everything I think and worry about.
I pray that during the test if I begin to feel anxious that you will remind me to pray, “Lord, you know my thoughts and my true capabilities.”
As I pray this with confidence, I will do it based on the truth you tell me in the Bible about how well you know my thoughts:
“You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” Psalm 139:2
I pray that if during the test of my mind seems to go blank that you will remind me to pray: “Lord, remind me of everything I need to remember.”
As I pray this with confidence, I will do it based on the truth you tell me in the Bible about your ability to remind me of all things:
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 NIV
I pray that if during the test I begin experiencing physical symptoms of nerves like a headache or feeling sweaty and anxious that you will remind me to pray: “Lord, heal all of my diseases.”
As I pray this with confidence, I will do it based on the truth you tell me in the Bible about your ability to heal my body.
“God forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103:3 NIV
I pray that if during the test I become so wrapped up in distractions either inside my head or outside as I watch the clock or compare myself to other students who seem to be breezing through the test that you will remind me to pray, “Lord, keep my mind on track.”
As I pray this with confidence, I will do it based on the truth you tell me in the Bible about your ability to help us keep our minds focused.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3
I pray that if I get a test result back where test anxiety caused me to make a grade that doesn’t reflect my mastery and knowledge of the subject, I pray that you will give me the courage and wisdom as to whether to speak with my teacher, professor or supervisor about the problems I experienced. Please guide me whether to ask for advice on earning extra credit or getting help on study habits or test taking skills and strategies. I will pray, “Lord, show me how to recover and be restored.”
As I pray this with confidence, I do it based on the truth that you are a God of second chances, based on what the Bible says about your ability to redeem and restore.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” I Peter 5:10
Most of all, I thank you that no matter what my hopes, dreams, challenges and fears are, the closer I become to you and the more I learn to depend on you, the more confident I will become that you are there with me in all stressful situations of my life.
Amen.
Research on Test Anxiety behind this Prayer
This prayer covers what researchers term the 3 dimensions of test anxiety:
Worrying about failing the test
The actual physical sensations you might feel during the test that are symptoms of your anxiety (examples heart beating faster, palms sweating)
Distractions during the test that are often nervous habits that cause you to lose focus
Useful treatments include therapy that helps you overcome negative thought patterns that are interfering with your ability to perform well on tests. Also, there are classes and groups to help you become more confident in your study skills and testing skills.
Experts are currently looking into the problem of test anxiety and its causes. For instance, studies on the topic of math anxiety show nearly half of all Americans suffer from a feeling that they are not “good” at math. According to Jo Boaler, professor of mathematics education at Stanford University, this probably originates from the timed test drills in elementary school where you must quickly write down the answers to addition or multiplication problems. Educators are now discovering that this causes students to simply memorize facts without really understanding the concept of the mathematical principles. Understanding and appreciating these principles is crucial later on in higher math which is conceptual in nature. Making matters worse, brain researchers have also found that under pressure, memorized facts become blocked by the testing worries, causing the students to lose confidence in their abilities.
Other Helpful Links
Final exam prayer with scriptures
College stress prayer strategy
Finding your personal meditation and prayer place at college
Overcoming procrastination prayer
Anxiety calming prayer
Fear of public speaking prayer
Copyright Karen Barber 2014. All rights reserved.
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