Prayers for understanding, verses for revision and exam day, and lines for students and teachers.
The psalms never mention exams or school, but they do talk about learning. Psalm 119, the longest psalm, asks again and again for understanding, and it describes meditating on the same words all day. Psalm 78 is about teaching the next generation. Most verses below are prayers to understand God's word. The requests themselves, open my eyes, give me understanding, teach me, are ones a student can pray over any subject.
The picks are grouped as prayers before you study, verses for going over the same material, verses for exam day, and verses for students and teachers. Tick any verse to print it for a desk or the front of a notebook.
Short requests for understanding, most of them from Psalm 119.
Open my eyes,that I may see wondrous things out of your law.
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things. The request is to notice what is already there on the page.
Your hands have made me and formed me.Give me understanding, that I may learn your commandments.
Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
The writer asks for understanding in order to learn, and grounds the request in being made by God's hands.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,for I believe in your commandments.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge. It asks for judgment as well as knowledge, not knowledge alone.
The entrance of your words gives light.It gives understanding to the simple.
The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
The entrance of your words gives light, and understanding to the simple. The verse does not assume the reader starts out clever.
The psalms describe learning as meditation: coming back to the same words day and night.
but his delight is in the LORD’s law.On his law he meditates day and night.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
On his law he meditates day and night. The first psalm makes learning a daily habit, and one done with delight.
How I love your law!It is my meditation all day.
O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
How I love your law, it is my meditation all day. Love comes first, and the long attention follows.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,for your testimonies are my meditation.
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
More understanding than all my teachers. The reason the verse gives is meditation, not cleverness.
The LORD’s works are great,pondered by all those who delight in them.
The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
The LORD's works are pondered by all those who delight in them. Delight and close study sit in the same line. The KJV has sought out.
When I tried to understand this,it was too painful for me—
When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;
When I tried to understand this, it was too painful for me. In Psalm 73 the puzzle is why the wicked prosper, and verse 17 says understanding came in God's sanctuary.
No psalm promises a grade. These are for nerves, and for finding the right words.
I have set the LORD always before me.Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
I have set the LORD always before me, so I shall not be moved. The steadiness comes from where the writer puts his attention.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heartbe acceptable in your sight,LORD, my rock, and my redeemer.
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable. It fits an oral exam, an interview or a presentation.
I cry out to God Most High,to God who accomplishes my requests for me.
I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
I cry out to God, who accomplishes my requests for me. The KJV reads unto God that performeth all things for me.
Psalms about teaching and being taught.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go.I will counsel you with my eye on you.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
God speaks: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go. Verse 9 adds a warning not to be like a horse or mule with no understanding.
Come, you children, listen to me.I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Come, you children, listen to me. It opens like a lesson, and the subject is the fear of the LORD.
God, you have taught me from my youth.Until now, I have declared your wondrous works.
O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
You have taught me from my youth. The writer, old and gray-haired by verse 18, is still declaring what he learned.
We will not hide them from their children,telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,his strength, and his wondrous deeds that he has done.
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.
We will not hide them from their children. Psalm 78 is about one generation telling the next what God has done.
Psalm 119:18, open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things, and Psalm 119:73, give me understanding, that I may learn, are short prayers to say before starting. Psalm 1:2 describes meditating day and night.
No psalm mentions exams. Psalm 16:8 and Psalm 57:2 are prayers for steadiness and help, and Psalm 19:14 asks that the words of my mouth be acceptable.
Psalm 34:11 opens like a lesson: come, you children, listen to me. Psalm 78:4 is about telling the next generation, and in Psalm 32:8 God is the teacher.
Psalm 119:99: I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. The KJV wording is the same except that it reads thy testimonies.
It does not mention study. Verse 1, I shall lack nothing, and verse 3, he guides me in the paths of righteousness, are the lines closest to a student's day.
Psalms about WisdomPsalms for Guidance and DirectionPsalms for Work and SuccessPsalms for Anxiety, Worry and StressPsalms for Kids