Prayer removes fear of standardized tests

Originally appeared on spirituality.com

We live in Texas, which, like many states in the US, has adopted tests to determine if grade-school children are progressing in specific skill areas. Scores on these tests determine if a student will advance to the next grade. The scores also reflect on the school, so significant class time is spent preparing for them.

Last year, my son took the reading and math tests for the first time. At first, I didn’t realize how concerned he was about them. Then he told me about an incident that happened when his class took a practice test in preparation for exam day. He didn’t understand the first question, so he asked the teacher to explain it. She said she couldn’t help him, because during the real test, teachers aren’t allowed to help students.

My son was almost in tears from the pressure and anxiety—and then he remembered he could turn to God. My husband and I encourage our son to pray, especially any time he feels unsure or frightened, and I was really glad he thought to do it this time.

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