6 Prayers to St Thomas Aquinas Before Study: Success and Focus 

Studying for a test can be challenging for any student sometimes. No matter how smart you are it’s normal to feel anxious and stressed when prepping for an exam.

Whether you’re in grade school, high school or college, test studying can discourage and way you down. But you can’t let those feelings get in the way so you can ask the higher powers for help!

The good news is that you can pray to St Thomas Aquinas for assistance and help to remain focused during your study time.

Praying with faith will also keep you at peace, melt away your nervousness and guarantee success in your exam. But it’s also important that you study too! You can’t just say a prayer and hope for the best.

So these prayers to St Thomas Aquinas are meant to say before your study and later before the test or exam.

1) Prayer to St Thomas Aquinas Before Study 

Prayer to St Thomas Aquinas Before Study
Prayer For Printing

“Powerful St Thomas, ruler of everything and governor of man’s wisdom. I ask that You shine Your light upon my darkened mind that I may be of sound mind and understanding.

Graciously take away my ignorance and obscurity and give me retentive memory to grasp information accurately. Let my answers be correct and thorough. 

Direct my steps throughout the test process until I finish triumphantly in Christ Jesus. 

Amen.”

St Thomas Aquinas is one of the most powerful minds of the Catholic church.

He is known for scribing the Summa Theologica, the encyclopedia of Catholic theology.

St Thomas is the divine patron of students and universities, which is why it’s a great idea to revere his intercession when studying for your exams.

Also note that despite praying, you should put in the effort to study. As it says in the Bible in James 2:26:

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

This means that no matter how much you pray to St Thomas Aquinas, the intercession won’t work unless you decide to prepare for the test.

You can also say a prayer for guidance in making a decision if you’re in the middle of the test and don’t know the answer.

2) Powerful Prayer to St Thomas Aquinas for Students 

Powerful Prayer to St Thomas Aquinas for Students
Prayer For Printing

“Come Holy Spirit, fall afresh on me. Put forth your wisdom and brilliance upon my clouded intellect. Disperse the darkness that engulfs me and wash away my sin of ignorance. 

I humbly ask for good memory, ease of learning, the ability to grasp quickly and plentiful grace to express myself. Guide my ambition that in all things, I will act with wisdom.

This I ask in the mighty name of the Father, Amen.”

God is the center of all things, meaning we should include Him in all our endeavors, not forgetting our studies

Proverbs 16:16 states that acquiring wisdom and knowledge is far more valuable than possessing riches.

While our number one mission is usually to get educated to land big career roles and earn lots of wealth, God doesn’t think the same way.

He puts it that education is far more valuable than money because it broadens our perspective and connects us with different people and places

Keep this golden lesson in mind as you get ready for your critical test.

Whether it’s your high school or college finals, the education skills you’ve gained all those years will always remain with you.  

3) Catholic Prayer Before a Test and Exam

Catholic Prayer Before a Test and Exam
Prayer For Printing

“Gracious God, as I sit for another test, please send Your Holy Spirit to be my companion and inspiration.

Give me clarity to remember all that I learned and studied for this [name the subject/course].

Take away my anxiety so that I may tackle all the questions efficiently within the allocated test period. 

Above all, help me to accept the outcome of the test as Your will. I have done my best to prepare for this exam and I present it to You for Your greater purpose in my life. 

I ask through Jesus Christ, Your Son and my friend, Amen.”

As crucial as the exam is, it shouldn’t interfere with your communion with God

Studies require hard work and take up a lot of a student’s time that you may forget to read God’s Word and pray.

It’s alright to be overwhelmed, but always spare time to talk with God, even just for a few minutes a day. Through devotion, we remind ourselves of God’s promises for us.

For example, the Bible says in Matthew 6:33 that we should seek God in all things, and He shall provide us with everything, including success in our studies. 

Encourage yourself before taking your test that God is near and is going to help you through it. 

You can also say a prayer for peace and calm before the exam!

4) Catholic Prayer for Students to Success on Exam 

Catholic Prayer for Students to Success on Exam 
Prayer For Printing

“Heavenly Father, as I take this exam, I know that my performance doesn’t define me but your enormous love for me. 

Walk with me during this time and bring to my mind everything I revised and be merciful with what I wasn’t able to study. 

I am confident that no matter what happens in this exam, You are with me. And You will always be with me in the many tests of life to come. 

I thank You, Lord, because success is my portion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Your priority as a student should be to indulge in your education. Always take your studies seriously by keeping up to date with your notes and homework and staying a step ahead in your work.

As you sit for your exam, ask yourself what kind of student you’ve been that semester.

  • Did you give it your all?
  • Or did you wait till the last minute to study?

But, no matter what, God is proud and rewards a zealous child who utilizes the gifts given to him. Remember Jesus’ parable of the gifted servants in Matthew 25:14-30.

The first two servants given five and two bags of gold worked diligently and doubled their wealth. But to the third who buried his bag, the little was taken from him because he was lazy and unaccountable.

That teaches that though you may not be the brightest in your class, God still expects you to work hard.

Don’t say that you won’t study hard because you won’t get good grades as the top performers. Whatever grade you get after the exam, you want to look back knowing that you did your best. And God will reward you. 

5) Short Prayer to Help Focus on Study

Short Prayer to Help Focus on Study
Prayer For Printing

“Dear Lord Jesus, I pray that You help me settle down and focus on my studies. Help me collect my thoughts and keep me from distractions that divert my mind from my books. 

My exam is coming up, and I need Your grace to learn and retain what I have acquired. May my efforts bear fruits and let me remember all that I read. 

I pray in Christ Jesus, Amen.”

You can concur with me that fear of an upcoming exam might hinder your ability to focus on studying.

So, saying a short prayer before beginning your revision can help ease your mind for a more effective and distraction-free study.

After involving God in your forthcoming test, you shift your focus from your situation and tune toward God. 1 Peter 5:7 says:

“Cast all your fears and worries on God, for He cares for you.”

Leave your anxiety with the Lord after making that short prayer. He’ll take care of the rest as you focus on the task ahead.

You can also say a prayer for anxiety, worry and fear so these feelings won’t interfere with your study.

6) Strong Prayer for Test Taking 

Strong Prayer for Test Taking
Prayer For Printing

“Loving Father, I call upon Your name right now as I sit for my test. Thank You for the talents and gifts that You have given me and for the opportunity to pursue my education. 

As I enter the exam room, please fill my heart with peace that comes from You.

I have done my best to prepare for the exam and ask that You give me the wisdom to transfer what I have learned to paper.

After all this, I shall be grateful for the results because I have worked hard to bring glory to Your name. I shall be victorious in this test and my life ahead. You have great plans for me.

Amen.”

A valuable lesson to recall is that God always has our best interests at heart. You might have studied throughout the semester, prayed and trusted God but failed to meet your target mark.

Several students struggle with this and begin to doubt God’s love for them when their hard work fails.

Don’t be discouraged. God knows your heart’s desires and will make everything beautiful in due time. 

David quoted in Psalm 138:8:

The Lord will work out His plans for my life- for His faithful love endures forever.”

So, whether you get the grade you hoped for or not, thank the Lord and remain positive. You can say a prayer after to thank God.

Is There a Patron Saint for Test Taking?

Yes, there is. He is called St Joseph of Cupertino. Not only does he intercede for students during test taking, but for Astronauts and the mentally handicapped.

But, St Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of universities and scholars. He has been a role model for students for a long time ago, so I believe that we must pray to him.

If you’re feeling lost you can say a prayer for both of them and ask for their help.

Will These Prayers Help Me to Study and Pass the Exam?

Yes. By saying these prayers, we recognize a divine power above us that guides us in everything.

Saying study prayers will help you release all your fears and anxieties to God so that you can focus entirely on preparing for your test. 

Releasing yourself to God and letting him take over your performance will give you peace. That way, at least you’ll know that whatever the outcome of the exam, God is the center of it all.  

How Many Times Should I Say These Prayers? 

You can say the prayers whenever you sit down to study, asking for God’s guidance to help you focus and remain attentive.

With so many distractions out there, you need all the help you can get to succeed in your studies and ace your exams. 

You can also pray just before sitting your test for calm and tranquillity. It’s important to have a calm mind during the exam as it helps you remember what you studied.

Pray that God takes away any panic and helps you jot down the correct answers. 

Sometimes even whispering a quick word of prayer when you feel confused or can’t remember an answer during an exam comes in handy. You’ll find that God surprisingly plants the answer in your mind.  

Final Thoughts 

Preparing for exams can be stressful for students of all ages.

Your schedules are packed, you have last-minute assignments and projects, pressure mounts and the list of to-do things seems unending. It can be taxing and difficult to get through. 

Exam periods also cause anxiety because students place value on their grades. However, you have a Father in Heaven who is always by your side, fighting for you day and night.

God knows your struggles and hardships at school and is always ready to help you when you call out to him through prayer. 

Submit your trust entirely to God by saying these prayers for successful study and exams, and let Him do the rest. No matter what happens, God is in control. You’ve got this!

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