The Baptist Student Center at Longwood University hosted 48 hours of continuous prayer Nov. 17-19, joined by all seven Christian campus organizations at the school.
Beginning at 7 p.m. Friday night, students came for hour-long shifts to pray for the campus, the world and themselves. Even through the night and early morning hours students came like clockwork to commune with their Creator. Thirteen prayer stations were set up all over the building, focusing on meditation, intercession, confession and adoration.
Ninety-one signed the guest book and added comments about being blessed and experiencing God in significant ways.
Margaret Archer stated, “This experience was amazing! I feel like I have a renewed relationship with God and for that I am grateful.”
Said Scott Larimar, “It's been a while since I felt God so powerfully.”
Students poured out their hearts to God on the pages of prayer journals and on a gigantic graffiti wall. They lit candles for loved ones with heavy burdens; symbolically washed their hands, accepting God's forgiveness for personal sin; and created a prayer list of friends who don't know Christ. Other stations focused on the Longwood campus, U.S. troops and the persecuted church worldwide.
Many of the ideas came from the book Red Moon Rising, which tells the story of a 24-7 worldwide prayer movement among young people.
At the conclusion all were invited back for a special worship service celebrating the weekend of prayer.
Among the groups participating in planning and conducting the event were Baptist Collegiate Ministries, Catholic Campus Ministry, Chi Alpha, CrossRoads Christian Fellowship, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Johns Memorial Episcopal Church, and the Wesley Foundation.
Many students expressed their gratitude for the cooperative venture and their desire to work together more as Christ's church. In the words of Brian Parran, “May our generation rise up to worship and serve the Lord. And may we know no division but that separates us from the world.”