USA (MNN) — Eastern Kentucky University students in the U.S began something last week that only God could have finished. InterVarsity Christian Fellowship students took part.
Four students who began meeting for prayer on campus started discussing a 24-7 campus prayer movement earlier this year. Together they saw a need for united prayer and revival so that unbelievers would see the difference in Christians. As the discussion continued, they decided that they wanted to unite the campus ministries in the effort. That resulted in a campus ministries united worship event to prepare for their prayer week. Students prayed for each other, roommates, fellow students, staff and faculty.
One of the student organizers said the group felt that if they were going to do something like a prayer week, they needed to "go big or go home." They needed to go about it in
such a way that would require them to rely on God to fill all the time slots for the 168 hours that they'd be praying.
After many prayer sessions, the 168-hour vigil kicked off the day after Easter. As the planners hoped, it began to raise questions from non-Christians who asked, "Why is this happening?"
One young woman who asked that question didn't say much else at first. Later, she came back to request prayer for her father who had just had surgery for brain cancer. Though the doctors said it was all gone, she wanted prayer that it would stay gone.
More campuses are doing 24-7 prayer vigils around the country, and many have had smaller prayer vigils. At Evergreen State College, staff expected to be praying alone during their 26-hour vigil. However, by the time they were halfway through, 15 students had already visited, many staying longer than they had planned. One student stayed for 9 hours. Another, a non-Christian, found her way to the room and commented on how peaceful it felt. She talked about faith and being "faithful" at Evergreen.
At another campus, a man entered the tent and simply asked, "How can I know more about God?" After having his questions answered by a student, he continued to come back. Students prayed with him for a while, and he talked a lot about the things he was wondering about. He finally said, "I NEED Jesus!"
Pray that prayer will continue and that revival will begin on campuses across the U.S.
