Liberty observes national Collegiate Day of Prayer with 24-hour prayer and worship

For 24 hours on Thursday, Liberty University students and staff gathered at Worley Prayer Chapel to take part in the national Collegiate Day of Prayer. The event marked Liberty’s second year of participation in the initiative, a day where universities, organizations, and churches come together to pray over colleges across the nation. This year, it coincided with the university’s regularly scheduled 24-hour Prayer.

On Wednesday evening, as the clock approached midnight, students filled the prayer chapel and overflowed onto the outside lawn as they were led in prayer for Liberty’s campus by student, faculty, and staff prayer leaders. Students could come and go from the chapel throughout the day as different students, faculty, and staff took turns leading prayers for other universities, starting with those in the Lynchburg area, then across Virginia, then around the nation. The time included intervals of worship through music.

“I think it’s great that as a Christian college, we can come together and lift up and pray for other students and Christians across the country,” said junior Bella Pannet, who prayed at the chapel with other students on Thursday evening. “It’s really cool to see everyone praying and worshipping God together and just knowing even when you’re not there that there’s people praying together.”

The Office of Spiritual Development organized the event at the chapel, aiming to encourage worship in both music and prayer throughout campus.

“It has been a great turnout; I’m really excited to see the hunger students have for just coming together in the posture of prayer and humility and dependency upon God,” said Executive Director of LU Shepherd Wes Franklin.

The office hosts 24-hour Prayer on the last Thursday of every month during the academic year with plans to eventually offer 24/7 prayer on campus and across the Liberty community around the world. When the new Global Prayer Room opens in the Champion Center (currently under construction), members of the Liberty community will be able to visit for prayer and worship at any time. Through streaming technology in the room, students in the online program and alumni all over the world will be able to join with Liberty in prayer.

“The dream is that from the first day of classes to Commencement, around the clock of the academic calendar, 24 hours a day, there will be prayer and worship taking place on Liberty campus,” said Executive Director of the Liberty Worship Collective Kevin Huguley.

In the meantime, Spiritual Development staff are looking forward to adding even more intentional times of prayer and worship in the chapel.

Students and staff are encouraged to join the next 24-hour Prayer in the Worley Prayer Chapel on March 27.

The chapel is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for members of the Liberty family to come and pray in solitude or with others.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Liberty University OSD (@libertyosd)