The first 48 hours of a student’s time on a college campus are some of the most important hours that a student will ever go through in their life. That may sound like a big statement, but it is true. It certainly was for me.
Within my first 48 hours at the University of Wyoming, I had met future roommates, future study partners, and even someone who would be in my wedding! But maybe most important, I was invited to a campus ministry and to a local church that faithfully discipled me for the next four years and supported me as I wrestled through my call to ministry.
If those first 48 hours had gone differently, if I had not met those friends who challenged me and pointed me towards God through the ups and downs of college, I do not know where I would be today.
The testimony of what God did during my college years began with the faithful prayers of many around me, people of all ages, from across the country and in countries around the world.
As a local church pastor in a university town, I ask how can we engage in what God is doing on college campuses throughout Illinois? We can pray.
Here’s how.
Pray for new students on campus.
Whether it is incoming freshmen, transfer students, or graduate students, there are always new students coming to campus. Much like what I experienced, they are going to go through a whirlwind in their first few days on campus. They will start building friendships, finding “their people,” and so much more.
A great verse to remember when praying for new students on campus is Matthew 28:18-20 where we see Jesus commissioning his disciples. We are to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of Jesus, teaching them to obey all that Jesus has commanded, and to remember that Jesus is with us always. Join me in praying that students will be plugged in with other believers who will take the time to share the gospel with them, to disciple them, and to point them to Jesus.
Pray for returning students and staff
As they settle back into campus, returning students need to build relationships with the students around them. Pray that they grasp the tremendous opportunity that God has provided for them to share the gospel with people all around them and to make disciples of all nations.
We should also pray for an often forgotten group, the faculty and staff who work on campus. Pray for them to be bold for the gospel and for their hearts to be burdened for their co-workers who do not know Jesus. Students are not the only harvest that is abundant.
Pray for churches reaching students
College is such a strategic opportunity for students to invest in their faith, and it is great opportunity for churches located near college campuses. Pray those students will be met by churches who are passionate about wanting to disciple them and equip them for a lifetime of effective and passionate ministry. College ministry requires time and energy, so pray for churches to have the time, energy, and willingness to reach their local campus.
In Matthew 9, we see Jesus preaching and teaching to crowds of people and healing them. Jesus is brokenhearted at the crowd’s need. He is filled with compassion. He is burdened for the crowd’s needs. He gives the disciples some instructions. Jesus says that they are to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” But Jesus does not just ask for them, or for us to pray a few empty words, or to check a box on our prayer list so that we can sleep well at night.
Instead, another way to translate the verb “pray” is to translate it “to beg.” We should fervently plead with God to send out laborers into the harvest that is our college campuses. Let’s plead for God to prepare the hearts of students. Let’s beg God to send out laborers into the harvest that is our college campuses across the state of Illinois.
— Daniel Good is lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Savoy.