EXAMINATION TIPS FOR BELIEVERS

 

The secret of success is to do the common thing, uncommonly well - John D. Rockefeller. 

As believers, the kind of success that God wished that we manifest in is different from that of unbelievers. It is success that supercedes man's (self) ability; one that is traceable to the enabling power of God; one which can be drawn, associates and is enabled (in and) by the Spirit, so that we cannot boast of our power, knowledge, skills and every of our ability but by the strength, quickening and enabling power of God. This is applicable to all spheres: Business, Work, Education etc including Ministry. But due to the course of this writing, I'll be centering on exams especially students that are believers. If you aren't one of them, make a quick deliberate decision and be convinced of your salvation, else, you are missing out amongst Christ's family (and the benefits of being a Son, a few of what I'll be sharing here). 

According to Josh 1:8 - KJV:This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

NIV:... Then you will be prosperous and successful.

AMP:... For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success.

The word of Good success is from the Hebrew word wakal meaning understand(ing), wise(ly), prosper, instruct, prudent, skill, teach etc. 

Now, the exposition for each tip is arranged in the order of Before, During and After. You should by now be aware that God always want man to depend on Him and carry Him along in anything and everything he does. He knows all and is always ready to guide and instruct him into all truths. There are lots to share but the most important are sequential below:

Before Exam

1 - Discern God's Voice: sharpen your sensitivity and discerning ability through God's Word and Prayer (spiritual activities), they have positive effects on your mind. Exam will come and go, what of your daily spiritual exam on your spiritual stability and growth. Your mind needs to be renewed and sharpened so as to discern God's voice and actually help you to do what God asks you to do or what He reveals. I'll like to share a bit of light on this from Apostle Arome Osayi's message titled "The Path of Spiritual Progress":

"Most of you feel that when exam comes, the most time you spend in reading is commensurate to your success. But you should understand that, when you spend time, make sure your spirit is activated before you write every exam. I've found out that if you spend time with God, you spend less time with men. If you spend more time with God, you spend less time with your exams. Because you have a clear mind. You have a sound mind. The Spirit of God has that function of bringing your mind to that operation where it attains its full potential. 

There's no thing, no potential that you carry, that you don't need the Spirit of God to drive you to its highest height. There's nothing you have, nothing. And don't think the way you are using your mind is the best way the mind can be used. But you need to allow the life of God to overflow the borders of your spirit, the bounds of your spirit and lay hold of your mind. It'll quicken it and make it life (Rom 8-6 - ESV:For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.) - your mind is life (AMP:... life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].).

#ME - The opposite of peace is war. When a war occurs in one's mind, it is between your knowledge and will compared to that of God#

The life of God that you have contacted that is in your spirit, needs to overflow your spirit and come to a point where it influences your mind and impact the life of God into your mind; and the consequences of that is that, you have graded to a point where you can tap into God's thoughts and hear God's words and understand God's feelings. The life of God is not restricted to your spirit and its not expected to be restricted to your spirit. It should overflow your spirit and come to a point where it begins to influence your mind. If it doesn't come to that point, you'll have a hard time hearing God. #ME - And that is War#. You'll have a hard time trusting what you are hearing. 

You'll not know whether what you are hearing is from you or from God. #ME - And that's War#. But when the life of God takes a grip of your mind, just as it made your spirit receive life, it'll make your mind receive life and your mind will operate on a frequency that is more than the operations of the mind of the ordinary man." #ME - Don't use familiarity to discern God's voice or move and operations, His ways are diverse, you only need a bit of it called Alignment. 

2 - Relate with spiritual or supernatural: 1Cor 2:11 - For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Even though the Bible says Daniel understood by books, it was made specific - the number of years (70) that the desolation of Jerusalem would last (Dan 9:2). It was initially recorded that Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams (Dan 1:17b), that was why he and his friends were 10 times better (Dan 1:20). You can check such instance before he interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he saw the vision (Dan 2:17-19).

If you want to discern and know the heart of your lecturers (the specific topics or questions they set for exams) despite given or non-given AOC(Area of Concentration/Gyration); then you have to engage the supernatural and connect spiritually (to consult) for God's AOC, even when you are reading or studying. This is what differ you from an unbeliever who uses instincts and knowledge and skills just like the magicians and astrologers of Daniel's time.

3 - Play your part (Knowledge and Hard work): let me shed light on this through Bishop David Oyedepo's message titled "3 Costs of Success": #He said there are 3 dimensional investments which serves as costs of success, they are - Spiritual Cost, Intellectual Cost(knowledge) and Physical Cost. Since I've shed light on the likeness of spiritual cost in tip 1, I'll rather share other 2 costs for the sake of volume.#

"A - Intellectual Cost(knowledge): Knowledge is power. To be informed is to be transformed and to be uninformed is to be deformed (Isa 5:13, 33:6). The more enlightened you are on any subject matter, the greater level of command you gain. Success and sustainable success is guaranteed by access to quality information. As believers, we are called to give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine (1Tim 4:13,15); to give ourselves wholly to these things that our profiting may appear to all. Abraham Lincoln once said, "You are the same person you are today in 5 years time except for 2 things: The books you read and The company you keep." Ignorance is costly, don't toil with it. There's no mountain anywhere, every man ignorance is his own mountain. 

B - Physical Cost: It takes hard work to fly high; hard workers are high fliers. Every success story is traceable to high level investment of time, energy and resources (Jh 9:4). High level energy is an all time requirement for high level performance, high level olaccompanishment (Pro 6:10-11, 24:33-34). Every star is stretched to shine. Until you are stretched enough, you can't be spread effectively. In all labour, there's profit (Pro 14:23). Labour is one of your vital keys into a great future (Gal 6:7, Pro20:4). Everyone that's not working will end up begging (Pro 13:23). If you are not building up principles, you are heading for troubles. Let's stop just talking it, let's start working it (Pro 24:27)."

4 - Do away with FEAR (FALSE/FAKE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL): 2Tim 1:7

5 - Pray and Trust God to strengthen your ability of comprehension/assimilation and to retain well (Divine wisdom, knowledge and understanding). Be guided on fasting, eat well because it helps your assimilation when reading/studying. 

6 - Command your authority in Christ (Deut 28:13, Phil 4:13).

7 - People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it - George B. Shaw. Nothing is impossible, clear your wrong mindset/mentality, doubts and be positively minded (Mrk 10:27, Luk 1:37, 18:27). That you cannot do it doesn't mean it cannot be done, it only means...you are yet to find out How...be open hearted and seek to learn. 

8 - Be cautious of your confession and every words you speak due to challenges, difficulties and others' show of weaknesses. 

9 - Take cognizance of your dreams, visions, revelations etc, few days/weeks to the exam and don't be far from your pairs of believers, God has helped some people when it comes to unveiling (Dan2:22).

10 - Detest and despise the hatred you have for any lecturers or courses before and create sudden love for them if need be, it is necessary to arouse excellence and shun anyhow grade. 

During Each and Every Exam

1 - (Jh 14:26, 16:13) If you don't have adequate knowledge, it will be hard for you to obey blindly/deliberately the Holy Spirit, whenever He reveals answers to you (before but majorly during exams). Why? You might not want to believe it, since it look strange and you haven't come across it before or you might find it difficult to write it correctly/accurately. At times, it is verbatim but it may not be such for one who has no knowledge. That's why the Holy Spirit is meant to remind you of what you have read/study and come across faintly or vividly (instead of comforting you after exam). Even though His operation is not limited to your knowledge (because He also reveals mysteries above your knowledge); yet you need knowledge no matter how small, it is to comprehend His leading, bidding and unveiling. 

2 - Make sure you are calm before, during and after writing the exam(s). Let your mind be at peace not troubled (Rom 8:15).

3 - Trust God to help and guide you while writing or answering your questions. The Holy Spirit will lead and guide you through picking right options or writing what's right but it's left for you to decide on deliberately choosing to do it or fight it. 

4 - Make positive confessions, be cautious and be guided. 

5 - Be sensitive, don't be too busy to be led and guided by God, he loves to unveil things. 

6 - Examination is meant to determine your aptitude, skills or qualifications, that's why you are subjected to it. Be different, you and God alone, be contented, be cautious of your standard as a believer. You don't need to cheat or make seating formations, it has no other name than Exam Malpractice. Stop trying to help God, if you are caught, you've gotten yourself disgraced not God. Pray and trust God not to be implicated by anyone for exam malpractice. 

After Each and Every Exam

1 - Pray and command positively or declare your desire to be assisted by favour and mercy. 

2 - Don't hate yourself after writing exams, be positively minded and cautious of your confessions. Founder of Alibaba Group - Jack MA once said: "Your mind is a magnet, if you think of blessings, you have blessings and if you think of problems, you attract problems. Always cultivate good thoughts and always remain positive and optimistic". 

3 - Clear any and every fear or doubts on the vision or goal of your upcoming Correct results. 

4 - Correct or perfect your grades and results through spiritual means. 

5 - Rejoice and be full of Joy until your excellent results are released. 

Shalom