On Feb. 27, believers worldwide will unite for the Collegiate Day of Prayer, lifting up the spiritual needs of 250 million students across 1,100 campuses. This movement, rooted in an early 19th-century tradition, has seen a remarkable revival in recent years.
CDP Executive Director Thai Lam calls it “the oldest day of prayer in American history,” explaining that its resurgence began in 2009.
“By 1823, every major denomination and every college campus of that day had adopted the last Thursday of February as this national day of prayer for campuses,” he told The Christian Post.
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Momentum skyrocketed after the 2023 Asbury University revival, which Lam described as “really significant” for the movement. “We were blown away” by what unfolded, he said, calling it “what we’ve been praying for.” That revival sparked a global shift, leading CDP to expand beyond the U.S. and focus on students in 195 countries.
/**/This year, CRU, a ministry founded on prayer, is inviting believers to “adopt three campuses in prayer — one close to their heart, one near their home and one in another country,” according to Dan Allan, Cru’s Executive Director of Mission Expansion.
As reported by The Christian Post, the CDP team envisions a future where every college has a dedicated prayer group or local church interceding for its students. “What would it look like if 40-year-olds and 60-year-olds really got a heart for the college campus down the street from them?” Lam asks.
With so much uncertainty and spiritual hunger burdening college students today, this movement reminds us of the power of prayer. Who knows what the Lord might do when entire communities come together to intercede for the next generation?
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
