Back to College in Prayer

I’m new here, and it’s great to meet you. My name is Amy, and I’m the new communications coordinator for the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

In the coming weeks you will be able to get to know me a bit more, but for now I wanted to share my heart and encourage you to pray for the young adults who are heading back to school. I’m a recent college graduate—so recent, that I haven’t even received my diploma in the mail yet!

The campuses of colleges, universities, technical schools and trade schools are where I and so many of my peers spread our wings for the first time and encounter new ideas that both challenge and change us. For me, college was a time of important formation: professionally, spiritually, personally. It is no exaggeration when I say that my prayer times were my lifeline, and so often I felt the prayers of older believers wrapping my heart in the love of Christ.

My spiritual experience in college was shaped first by a Bible study of fellow college women. My first weekend on campus they opened their group and I watched them pray powerful prayers over each other and the upcoming school year. They weren’t stringing together some “churchy” words to make their parents happy—they were moving at the leadership of the Holy Spirit to engage the heart of God in prayer.

Nothing replaces the Godly example of believers in the same stage of life, boldly living out their faith.

These women led me to the church that I still call home. The congregation is small but tight knit. For two years, I participated in a small group made up of believers of all ages. They taught me how to wrestle with questions about scripture, apply the Gospel to all sorts of life situations, and examine my own actions to see how I was or was not acting in line with scripture. They cared for me as an individual, always being intentional to welcome me into their homes and cover me in prayer. Learning at the feet of women and men who have been walking with the Lord longer than I have been alive is a treasure and a gift.

Nothing replaces the Body of Christ—all generations of believers gathering to seek the Lord in corporate worship and intimate teaching.

Through all these experiences, my faith evolved and grew. It looks much different than it did when I stepped on campus, but praise God for that!

As you pray over college campuses and the students who are returning to their studies, I encourage you to pray for hope. I see so many of my peers, and myself included, wrestle with feelings of hopelessness. Pray that hearts would be filled with the hope of Christ—our perfect hope that does not disappoint!

Pray for students. We are the next leaders, pastors, teachers, doctors, parents. If roots begin in college, they will run deep into adulthood and shape every aspect of our lives. Pray that students will root themselves in scripture, prayer and the body of Christ to bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God in this generation and the next!

“This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:5

P.S. As you ask the Lord to guide prayers for college campuses, I encourage you to join the Every Campus Back to Campus event tonight on Facebook Live. Tonight, from 9-10 p.m. ET, our friends at Every Campus are hosting a virtual event to inspire and equip college students across the country to pursue Jesus and engage their campus with the Gospel. We will be cross-posting the event to our Facebook page, or you can find it at https://everycampus.com/backtoschool/. Share the information with college students in your life, and join the livestream to pray!

Peace and blessings,

Amy McDonald

Communications Coordinator

National Day of Prayer Task Force

Upcoming Events

Every Campus – Back to Campus

On August 6th, from 9-10 p.m. EST, our friends at Every Campus are hosting a virtual event to inspire and equip college students across the country to pursue Jesus and engage their campus with the Gospel. We will be cross-posting the event to our Facebook page, or you can find it at https://everycampus.com/backtoschool/. Share the information with college students in your life, and join the livestream next week!

Pray on MLK

On August 8th, from 6-8 p.m., our friends at Civil Righteousness Inc. will be hosting prayer events on MLK streets, avenues, boulevards and statues across the country. To find an event near you and get more information, visit https://prayonmlk.org

Nehemiah Response

Please continue to join us in posting a short prayer for America on social media each day. Our hope is to change the atmosphere of hopelessness, rumor, fear, division, and injustice to that of Spirit-filled assurance, truth, courage, and unity in love. Use #NehemiahResponse in your posts to connect with other prayer warriors!

About the National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America, evidenced by the Continental Congress’ proclamation in 1775 setting aside a day of prayer. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

To learn more, or to find a National Day of Prayer event in your community, visit www.NationalDayofPrayer.org.