Thousands of Christians have committed to pray for 250 million students for the Collegiate Day of Prayer on Feb. 27. CDP Executive Director Thai Lam sat down with reporters to explain the impact of his organization. He explained the history of the CDP and gave his vision for the future. He advocates for Christian communities to index with college students.
“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,” Lam explained. “It went on from about 1815 to about World War I or so. At that point, it fell out of the church rhythm. The world was changing. War, Spanish flu, different things.”
“We just looked at each other and said, ‘Hey, what hinders us from doing this again today?’ And so, we registered a domain and mobilized our spheres and networks. Year one, we had 450 campuses adopted. Year two, 900,” he added.” Lam explained that it was “the oldest day of prayer in American history” and said that since 2009, “every year, it kept on growing.”
“We’ve been mostly focused on prayer for 20 million students on 4,200 college campuses [in the U.S.], and we had over 2 million engaged from the nations,” he said. “It’s been a point of prayer for us since Asbury. So, the big change this year is that we’re launching the Collegiate Day of Prayer global, where we’re shifting from just 20 million students in the U.S. to 250 million students in 195 countries.”
“What would it look like if every college campus had one, three, five churches, local congregations, that adopted that campus and were committed to praying for that campus?” he questioned.“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? And the church of a hundred just commits to praying for that one campus that they drive by all the time. And who knows what the Lord might do?”
“Our deep commitment to interceding for students and faculty has naturally aligned with the vision of the Collegiate Day of Prayer,” Allan told reporters. “We are honored to stand alongside believers from other ministries, uniting in prayer for this generation and trusting God to transform lives on campuses everywhere.” He hopes that “participants will deeply connect with the Lord and experience a renewed burden for reaching today’s college students.”
For this year, according to Allan, Cru has invited supporters “to adopt three campuses in prayer — one close to their heart, one near their home and one in another country,” he said. “The impact is evident in the ministry results displayed at the bottom of the CDOP website, where you can see a noticeable jump from 2022 to 2023 in the number of campus ministries, churches, and individuals committed to praying,” he said.
“We are trusting God to stir hearts and raise up many who will take the next step in campus ministry — whether by supporting an existing ministry in their community or stepping out in faith to start something new,” the pastor concluded. “Ultimately, we pray this day ignites a lasting commitment to intercede for students and faculty, believing God for transformation on campuses across the nation and beyond.”