The stress on today’s youth to test well is palpable. The anxiety for some to achieve perfection, and for others to simply pass minimum standards, is far more than any other generation has had to endure. As students head into exam season, the hyper-focused visions for their futures can be too much for them to bare. Though they have been crafted by such unique and individual purpose by their Creator, test scores threaten to drag God’s vision for their lives out of focus.
From elementary school-aged on, children are put through a gauntlet of standardized and educational achievements, but at the end of the day there isn’t a score high enough to fill the void that a lack of Peace can leave in their hearts.
Let’s pray for students in the testing season to see past their scores, and onto the greater purpose their lives have been prepared to walk into.
Father,
We praise You for the journey our students are on. In an era that threatens to leave parents fearful to send their kids to school, and worried about whether they will return to them each day, we ask Your hand of protection over our students. School not only presents the possibility for physical harm, but the mental tax of testing can take a toll on their confidence.
Father, we thank You for every student, whether home-schooled, attending public or private schools …even those learning on line. Thank You for the opportunity to learn more about the world we live in and who we are in it. Thank You for the teachers that pour their hearts and lives into their students, in order to help them find their potential in this life. Bless they, and all administrators, tech assistants, janitors, bus drivers, and aides that pour their lives into our students every day. Grant them the wisdom they need to guide, encourage, and keep safe those under their watch.
For the wonders in this world, from the landscape of nature and the life that fills it, to mathematical equations and new discoveries, we praise You. Your works are wondrous, and too numerous to count or equate in this life. Let the material that this generation of students absorbs seep into their minds and bones like never before, with a rich understanding of the life You have created and the purpose and plan You have for them.
So often test bubbles can become the sole focus of the educational journey. Class rankings and scholarship earnings trump what God’s tug on the heart is trying to steer students towards. Let the voices of all the mentors and teachers present in the lives of this generation of students be aligned to the call on their lives from You, God. May Christ be more apparent and obvious to this generation that any that have come before them. May they apply their talents and gifts to the best of their abilities to honor and glorify You, Jesus.
Create in their hearts a peace and a calm, to prepare to the best of their ability for the exams and the tests they are about to complete. Inspire them to go past the minimum requirements, and work not only at the subjects that come naturally to them, but also at those that may not come so easily. Help them to learn and grow through each lesson, and each test bubble they fill in.
In the midst of their exams and tests, meet them in those moments of fear and anxiety. Bless their hearts and minds with a peace that transcends all understand. Protect them from the temptation to cheat, quit, or put forth any effort that is not their very best. Assure them that their best effort is beyond good enough, even if it does not fulfill the expectations of themselves or others. Release the grip of the pressure to perform well, and protect the fun of learning from seeping out of the school day. Surround them with encouragement, from parents, guardians, classmates, teachers, and friends.
Through this anxious time, as some students prepare for the rest of their lives, let us all remember that our days are limited on this earth …and only You are privy to that number. At the end of each test, and each day, let our hearts be grateful to have lived out another one. Protect the mental health of each young mind that is overwhelmed and drowning in the possibilities, or lack thereof, that their future seems to hold. Uphold their parents, and create in them a welcome embrace of support, not added pressure or unrealistic expectations. Soften the hearts of the adults and older mentors that surround these students, to be encouraging and uplifting.
Put examples of godly confidence in their lives to witness, Father. Models of hearts running to You. Let them not be overwhelmed by all that student life is. Lighten the load of their books and their burdens. Leave them feeling free to pursue a world full of dreams and a future all their own, instead of overwhelmed by the pressure to be someone they don’t reconcile with.
Father, we run to You, today. As students, parents, teachers, mentors, and friends. We ask You to calm our hearts lead us. Each answer, each essay, every application, let all of our efforts honor and glorify You. Show us our place in Your plan, step by step and day by day.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Meg Bucher (Megs) writes about everyday life within the love of Christ on her blog, sunnyand80.org. A stay-at-home mom, freelance writer and blogger, Bible study and children’s worship team leader, she resides in Ohio with her husband of ten years, two daughters, and their Golden-doodle.
For further prayer over students, check out "8 Encouraging Prayers for Students During Exams."