Students Unplug to Spend Time in Prayer
Students gathered in DeMoss Hall Saturday, March 10 for Liberty University Student Counseling’s Day of Prayer to pray for the nation as part of the National Day of Unplugging.
The event, where students could come and go throughout the day, lasted from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students who entered the room were requested by signs at the door to either place their devices on silent or to place them in a basket by the door reserved specifically for that purpose.
At the Day of Prayer event, a table near the entrance held various activities for students to do as they prayed. For example, students had the opportunity to color coloring sheets with Bible verses on them. They could also use Play-Doh as a tool to help them focus as they prayed.
Two students, Mary-Claire McIntyre and Moriah Miller, were filling a large sheet of butcher paper with prayer requests and praises at the event.
McIntyre said the room had been set up intentionally.
“They kind of set up the room to reflect the different things we’re praying for,” McIntyre said.
Students were able to go to different “stations” around the room, which focused on different things to pray for, such as family or the nation.
Although attendees were free to pray for any topic they wished, a list of suggested prayer topics was available at the event. Some of the topics the Day of Prayer focused on included students, faculty, families, various schools, the Lynchburg Community and the nation, according to the list.
In particular, students were encouraged to pray for their own families, for the family unit in general, for both Liberty and other schools in America to be safe, for leaders of the Lynchburg area, for people in Lynchburg to come to the Lord, for Lynchburg police officers, for leaders in America, such as the president and vice president, and for nations around the world to know the Lord.
The National Day of Unplugging began at sundown March 9 and lasted until sundown March 10, according to the National Day of Unplugging’s website.
“It highlights the value of disconnecting from digital devices to connect with ourselves, our loved ones and our communities in real time,” a note on the website said.
Reviewers on the initiative’s website said they did not regret turning off their devices for a while.
“I like (the) National Day of Unplugging because it helps bring focus to people that technology is beautiful and awesome and amazing, but also needs to be tempered some,” reviewer Brian B. wrote on the website.
Other participants wrote that the day encouraged them to go out into nature, slow down their busy lives or approach life more intentionally.
Anyone is invited to get involved with taking a break from their devices, and they can do that in one of a few different ways.
The website allows users to take an unplugging pledge, and after taking the pledge, users can fill out a form to receive a free “sleeping bag” for their phone. Users can place their phone in the bag, so they will not even be tempted to look at their notifications. According to the website, the bags are also environmentally friendly, because they are hemp and soy based.
More information can be found on the National Day of Unplugging’s website, at nationaldayofunplugging.com.