As a lover of history, I was thrilled to learn on a nation-wide prayer conference call that the last Thursday in February was once designated as the Collegiate Day of Prayer. That tradition went on for over one hundred years in America as collegians, parents, churches, and even school children cried out to God for revival on America's colleges and and universities.

In many different decades, God answered those prayers and helped direct the destiny of our nation through spiritual awakenings on campus.

On the last Thursday of February--February 25--many of us will be reviving that great and important tradition. The First Thursday in May is now firmly established as the National Day of Prayer. We want to re-establish the Last Thursday in February as the Collegiate Day of Prayer--a sacred day to pray college and university students.

Will you place February 25 on your calendar as the Collegiate Day of Prayer and gather with your friends to seek God's face?

Here is the full story to inspire your praying...

Shouldn't this Day of Prayer be Reestablished?

For nearly a hundred years the Church in America observed a day of united prayer for God to awaken and revive our colleges, and yet no such day of prayer exists today. At a time when the spiritual needs of our nation and world are so great, and so many are calling for more student prayer, is there any reason why this historic day of prayer should not be reestablished? A witness of these historic events was once asked about the spiritual decline of America's students. Without hesitation, she replied: "It is due almost entirely to the fact that we no longer observe the Day of Prayer for Colleges as we used to do. There used to be long seasons of prayer in the college chapel and all-day meetings for fasting and prayer in almost all the churches. We asked God to raise up ministers and missionaries among the students and He did it...‘Ye have not because ye ask not.'"

An Interdenominational Prayer Movement

The Day of Prayer for colleges was warmly embraced and promoted by almost every major university and denomination in America. This can be partially attributed to the fact that the Day of Prayer was originally an extension of the transatlantic Concert of Prayer movement. Throughout the second half of 18th century the Concerts of Prayer had established a reputation in Britain and America for interdenominational unity, mutual respect and genuine cooperation. These values helped to foster a welcoming atmosphere where differing evangelical leaders and their congregations could come together and pray about their common needs and concerns. It was this cross-denominational unity in prayer that gave America's colleges a working model for their own prayer movement. Therefore, they incorporated these same practices into the structure of the Day of Prayer for colleges, and thereby won the trust and respect of the nations leading churches and universities.

A Defined & Specific Focus in Corporate Prayer

United and effective prayer always requires some defined goals and specific objectives. America's first student prayer movement affirmed this truth, and without apology called on their peers to pray on a specific day for a specific Kingdom purpose. Their generation's greatest spiritual needs defined where and how they should focus their greatest faith in prayer. Without this kind of specific and focused prayer we will never see our hopes and dreams for this generation realized. The Kingdom focus of the original Concert of Prayer for Colleges, and that of the transatlantic Concert of Prayer movement that preceded it, had a distinct two part emphasis. They specifically prayed for both the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon their churches, communities and colleges, and the spread of the Gospel in all its purity and power throughout the world. They clearly understood that one depended upon the other, that they were divinely interconnected and therefore they specifically prayed for both. They considered the evangelization of the world as their God given duty and destiny, and an awakened and revived Church as the surest way to achieve it.

A Variety of Corporate Prayer Styles

As already mentioned, the strength of the Day of Prayer for colleges was found in its unity and agreement. Thousands of believers from every evangelical denomination and from nearly every state and campus in America willingly agreed to come together and pray about the same things at the very same time. Yet, when you examine the records of how the Day of Prayer for colleges was applied by all these different campuses, you discover that they often prayed in a variety of different ways. Some colleges observed the day of prayer by holding one simple prayer meeting while other colleges spent several days in fervent prayer and fasting. Some groups prayed long and loud while others bowed and prayed quietly. Though no one group or denomination claimed ownership over the Day of Prayer, this freedom of expression instilled within each individual prayer group a healthy sense of personal responsibility and vision for the larger prayer movement. This diversity and freedom of expression helped the prayer movement glean the greatest amount of participation possible on the greatest number of campuses.

Uniting the Generations in Corporate Prayer

Another key element of the original Day of Prayer for colleges was it's cross-generational vision. It wasn't merely confined to college students on college campuses. During the 19th century almost every church and denomination felt some responsibility for the colleges in America. Therefore, pastors and church leaders preached about the spiritual needs of students and urged their congregations to pray for America's universities. Consequently, the prayer burden for college students was not carried by just a few college ministers or campus ministries. No, the fathers and mothers and the whole Christian community participated in the Day of Prayer for colleges. This Day of Prayer was not observed only on the campus, but in the churches and homes of everyone who cared about the next generation. Our history teaches us that both the older and younger generation alike must work together in united prayer for the future of our nation and world.

The Spirit of Grace & Supplication

It was no accident that the first campus prayer movement in America succeeded. Its cross-denominational flavor, unified focus, spiritual diversity and generational cooperation, all helped the movement to become a blessing to generations of young believers. These unassuming qualities were like the little gestures of warmth and kindness that one might experience in an inviting home. The American Church during this time was far from perfect. However, the combined effect of all these small acts of grace made it more welcoming and attractive to those who wanted to unite and pray. Those who desire to advance the Kingdom of God sometimes overlook such things. Yet, it was these little bits of grace and mutual respect that made it possible for the people of God to unite and come together in persistent prayer. A day was fixed and established, so the young and old, the poor and rich from every campus and corner in America could pray together for Christ to come in power upon our campuses. These quiet gifts of humility, honor and patience made the prayer movement possible. It seems that as long as the American churches tried to respect these quiet graces, they were enabled by God to keep their appointment to pray for our colleges.