Orthodox prayers before study and exams

Prayers to begin study or an exam, to keep going through long hours, for a child who finds learning hard, and one to end with.

Picture: Mikhail Nesterov, The Vision to the Youth Bartholomew, 1889–90

5 prayers and 1 to the saints

Before you begin

Prayer before study

O most gracious Lord,send down on us the grace of Your Holy Spirit,Who gives understandingand strengthens the powers of our souls,

so that, listening to the teaching given to us,we may grow up to glorify You, our Creator,to bring comfort to our parents,and to serve the Church and our country.

Traditional wording, 2011

O Most-good Lord! Send down upon us the grace of Thy Holy Spirit,Who granteth gifts and strengtheneth the powers of our souls,

so that by attending to the teaching given us,we may grow to the glory of Thee, our Creator,to the comfort of our parents,and to the service of the Church and our native land.

The prayer Russian schoolchildren say before lessons. It asks God to send the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who gives understanding and strengthens the powers of the soul.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic, with the Jordanville Prayer Book’s English beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, Prayer Book, 2011.

This wording follows a shorter Slavonic copy. Where today’s prayer book asks for the Spirit “Who gives understanding”, it has “Who granteth gifts”.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

Right before an exam

Kontakion of Forgiveness Sunday

Guide to wisdom, Giver of good sense,Teacher of the foolishand Defender of the poor,make my heart firm and give it understanding,O Master.

Give me words, O Word of the Father,for see, I will not hold back my lipsfrom crying out to You:Merciful One, have mercy on me,the fallen one.

Traditional wording, 2011

O Thou Guide unto wisdom, Bestower of prudence,Instructor of the foolish and Defender of the poor:Establish and grant understanding unto my heart, O Master.

Grant me speech, O Word of the Father;for behold, I shall not keep my lips from crying unto Thee:O Merciful One, have mercy on me who have fallen.

A short hymn from the last Sunday before Lent. It asks Christ for a firm heart, for understanding and for words.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek, with the Jordanville Prayer Book’s English beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, Prayer Book, 2011.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

For long hours of study

Solomon’s prayer, Wisdom 9

O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy,You made all things by Your word,and by Your wisdom You formed manto rule over the creatures You made,to govern the world in holiness and righteousness,and to judge with an upright soul.

Give me the wisdom that sits beside Your throne,and do not reject me from among Your children.For I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant,a weak man whose life is brief,with too little understanding of justice and laws.Even if someone is perfect among the sons of men,he will be counted as nothingif the wisdom that comes from You is missing.

With You is wisdom, who knows Your worksand was there when You made the world.She knows what is pleasing in Your eyesand what is right in Your commandments.Send her out from the holy heavens,send her from the throne of Your glory,so that she may be with me and labour with me,and I may learn what pleases You.For she knows and understands all things.She will guide me wisely in what I doand guard me with her glory.

For what human being can know the counsel of God?Who can work out what the Lord wants?The thoughts of mortals are timid,and our plans may easily fail.For a body that decays weighs down the soul,and this earthly tent burdens a mind full of thoughts.We can barely guess at the things on earth,and what is close at hand we find with hard work.But who has searched out the things in heaven?

Who has known Your counsel,unless You gave wisdomand sent Your Holy Spirit from on high?So the paths of those on earth were set straight,people were taught what pleases You,and they were saved by wisdom.

Traditional wording, 1611

O God of my fathers, and Lord of mercy, Who hast made all things with Thy word,And ordained man through Thy wisdom, that he should have dominion over the creatures which Thou hast made,And order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with an upright heart:

Give me wisdom, that sitteth by Thy throne; and reject me not from among Thy children:For I Thy servant and son of Thine handmaid am a feeble person, and of a short time, and too young for the understanding of judgment and laws.For though a man be never so perfect among the children of men, yet if Thy wisdom be not with him, he shall be nothing regarded.

And wisdom was with Thee: which knoweth Thy works, and was present when Thou madest the world, and knew what was acceptable in Thy sight, and right in Thy commandments.O send her out of Thy holy heavens, and from the throne of Thy glory, that being present she may labour with me, that I may know what is pleasing unto Thee.For she knoweth and understandeth all things, and she shall lead me soberly in my doings, and preserve me in her power.

For what man is he that can know the counsel of God? or who can think what the will of the Lord is?For the thoughts of mortal men are miserable, and our devices are but uncertain.For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthy tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things.And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us: but the things that are in heaven who hath searched out?

And Thy counsel who hath known, except Thou give wisdom, and send Thy Holy Spirit from above?For so the ways of them which lived on the earth were reformed, and men were taught the things that are pleasing unto Thee, and were saved through wisdom.

Show the whole prayer

From the Book of Wisdom, part of the Orthodox Bible. Solomon asks God to send wisdom to work beside him, because even what lies close at hand we find only with hard work.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of Wisdom 9:1-6, 9-11 and 13-18, with the King James wording beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: the King James Bible’s translators, The King James Bible, Apocrypha, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

For a child who finds learning hard

Prayer for a child who struggles to learn

O Lord Jesus Christ our God,You truly came to dwellin the hearts of the twelve apostlesby the grace of the all-holy Spirit,Who came down in the form of tongues of fire.You opened their lips,and they began to speak in other tongues.

You Yourself, O Lord Jesus Christ our God,send down that same Holy Spirit of Yourson this child, (name),and plant in the ears of their heartthe Holy Scriptures,which Your most pure hand wrote on the tabletsfor Moses the lawgiver,now and always, and for ever and ever. Amen.

Traditional wording, 1999

O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Who didst abide in the hearts of the Twelve Apostles without partiality,Who, by the grace of the All-holy Spirit Who had come down in the form of fiery tongues, didst open their mouths,and they began to speak in other languages:

Do Thou Thyself, O Lord Jesus Christ, our God, send down this, Thy Holy Spirit, on this child, N.,and plant in the ears of his (her) heart the Sacred Scripture,which Thy most-pure hand inscribed on the tablets through Moses the Lawgiver,now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

From the Book of Needs, where a priest says it over the child’s head. The Russian prayer book also gives it for use at home, so a parent might pray it.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic of the Russian prayer book, with the Greek and St Tikhon’s English beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: St Tikhon’s Monastery, The Great Book of Needs, Volume IV, 1999.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

When you finish

Prayer after study

We thank You, O Creator,that You have granted us Your graceto take in the teaching.

Bless our leaders, our parents and our teachers,who lead us to the knowledge of what is good,and give us the strength and energyto keep on with this learning.

Traditional wording, 2011

We thank Thee, O Creator, that Thou hast vouchsafed us Thy grace to attend instruction.

Bless our leaders, parents, and instructors who are leading us to an awareness of good,and grant us power and strength to continue this study.

The partner of the prayer before study. It thanks God for the lesson and asks Him to bless parents and teachers.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

To a saint · To St Sergius of Radonezh

Troparion of St Sergius

O athlete of the virtues,like a true soldier of Christ Godyou fought hard against the passionsin this passing life.In singing, in vigils and in fastingyou were an example to your disciples.So the most Holy Spirit came to dwell in you,and by His working you are radiantly adorned.

Now, since you have boldness before the Holy Trinity,remember the flock you gathered, O wise one,and do not forget to visit your children,as you promised,O holy Sergius, our father.

Traditional wording

As a virtuous ascetic athlete, and true warrior of Christ Godfighting fiercely the good fight against the passions during this earthly life,laboring in hymnody, vigil and fasting thou wast an example to thy disciples.Wherefore, the Holy Spirit made His abode within thee, Whose activity adorned thee with radiant beauty:

Since thou hast great boldness towards the Holy Trinityremember thy flock wisely gathered by theeand forget not as thou didst promise, to visit thy children,O venerable father Sergius.

His Life tells that as a boy he could not learn to read until an old monk prayed for him. The hymn itself says nothing of study.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Church Slavonic, with the English Menaion of All Saints Eastern Orthodox Church beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: an unnamed translator, English Menaion, All Saints Eastern Orthodox Church.

Where it comes from, and the Church Slavonic

Patron saints of students and exams The saints people ask for help with this, their stories and their prayers.

Scripture for this

For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6 Wisdom, knowledge and understanding all come from the Lord.

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding in every kind of literature and wisdom. And Daniel had insight into all kinds of visions and dreams.

Daniel 1:17 God gave Daniel and three other young men knowledge and understanding in every kind of learning.

¹⁰“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.” ¹¹And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD? ¹²Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

Exodus 4:10-12 Moses feared he was too slow of speech. God promised to help him speak and to teach him what to say.

You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3 God keeps in perfect peace the steady mind that trusts in Him, a promise for the nerves before an exam.

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men …

Colossians 3:23 Do your studies with your whole being, as work done for the Lord.

Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the Lord, before the exam and while you wait for the results.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

A psalm for this

Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Psalm 34:11

The Book of Needs reads Psalm 34 at the start of its services for a child beginning to learn and for students who find learning hard.

Psalm 34 Read the whole psalm, with St Athanasius’s advice on when to pray it.

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All prayers

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