Everyone, I really need your prayers and advice. I've been praying for 1 1/2 years for certain things and one of them being my graduate school studies. I had prayed that the Lord would allow me to complete my degree with good knowledge and understanding of the subjects I'm studying. I have 5 classes left to take to receive my degree. Well, I started this semester taking only one class. Last semester I took two classes and one of the classes gave me trouble, I wound up with a B- in the course and my company would not pay for my tuition for that class. I had to pay for the class out of my own funds which I was saving for a car.

Last night I took my first exam in my new class and recieved a C- on it. I'm so discouraged right now about if I should just quit school and not go back after this semester. I'm doing well on the homework, and I really did study for this exam, but the exam was 3 hours long and included 87 questions 52 of which were problems you had to work out. The average in the class was 95 so apparently I'm the only one having trouble. I feel like maybe this isn't what God wants me to do and maybe this is one of his signs to me. Right now, I feel very stupid and unqualified to even be in the course. I feel so defeated. I contacted my professor and set up a meeting with him on Thursday to see if I can go over some of the problems with him, etc. I also asked if he had any extra-credit work that I may be able to complete to help me learn and get a better grade in the course, however, he ignored my request so I don't know what to do at this point.

Any prayers and/or advice you can provide would be great. Right now I feel like all my prayers are falling on deaf ears and I'm tired. I don't know what to do. Thanks for your prayers everyone. God Bless!!!

My daughter who is in college now told me of a certain professor who was being particularly demanding and unrelentent in his requirements for the class. She tried to get the man to give her some leniency, as she was having a difficult time with the assignments. The professor refused and my daughter asked me if she should perhaps drop the course and take it later, perhaps with an easier teacher. I told her that college is a proving ground for oneself. Higher education is undertaken because we wish to do it, not because we have to do it. In a larger sense, it is an education of the will. Since it is wholly voluntary, it is also very easy to give up and drop out. In professional course work, many fine professors also view college as "separateing the wheat from the chaff". In other words, many people want to pursue higher learning, but do not have the will or determination to rise to the demands that later will be needed to achieve success. Professors will try to sift-out those students who are not willing to "never give up" from those who are not so determined. I gave my daughter one word for her to always remember: be "tenacious".

Since you are a person who commits decisions to prayer, believe that God had already been at work in your life by leading you to this particular difficult path and your desire to pursue your graduate degree. Being in God's perfect will doesn't mean the walk will be an easy one. If you did not find the course work in general interesting, challenging, and fulfilling, THIS perhaps would be an indication you might go a different direction. Barring that, my advice to you is DON'T GIVE UP. Be tenacious.

I recently read a biography of the late Winston Churchill. He gave a speech to a school group during World War II around the theme of never giving up. It became one of his most famous speeches and you might find it illuminating. Here is a link to the speech:

http://www.school-for-champions.com/speeches/churchill_never_give_in.htm

You might also enjoy reading these illustrations of situations where God's Word to us to "stand fast" as in 1 Corinthians 16:13 have provided the way to victory.

http://www.sermons.org/discouragement.html

God bless you in your studies.

Nick P.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Nick P.,

Nick, God Bless you! I needed this encouragement. I'm focusing my attention on staying in God's presence and allowing him really speak to my heart and spirit. When I went home last night, prayed about my discouragement and the Lord revealed to me how Moses was discouraged, and how David was discouraged and how so many of God's followers in the bible went through times of discouragement. But the one thing that was constant throughout was that God was on their side. I'm not saying that this is making things any easier, but I do realize that God has not left me nor forsaken me. And if school is where he wants me to be he is going to be with me every step of the way, and if he doesn't want me to be there he will close the door of opportunity and lead me down another path.

Please continue to pray for me that during my times of discouragement I will continue to seek the word of God and listen to his voice of encouragement during the hard times.