College Students Praying Non-stop!
By Mark Schwendau
An unprecedented event of the current time began this past week in America. A prayer meeting has been going on at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, for over a week now. According to a report from the student newspaper “The Asbury Collegian,” the event in the Wilmore, Kentucky, university chapel began when students gathered for a typical 10 am chapel service. But then, after the normal service was completed in an hour, nobody left. So, with nobody wanting to leave, the service continues.
Wednesday, February 8, about a dozen students of Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, gathered for what they expected to be just a regular morning chapel service. That meeting of Christ followers then grew and has yet to conclude. This phenomenon has gone viral on various platforms of the Internet and is now making the news as people ponder what it means.
As The Asbury Collegian’s executive editor Alexandra Presta reported during the call to confession, at least 100 people fell to their knees and bowed at the altar. “Voices are ringing out. People are bowing at the altar; arms stretched wide. A pair of friends cling to each other in a hug, one with tears in her eyes. A diverse group of individuals crowd the piano and flawlessly switch from song to song. Some even sit like me, with laptops open. No one wants to leave.”
“Asbury University Revival Live 2023 – Feb 13, 2023 (5+ Hours Evening)”
Beginning last Wednesday, the 24-hr a day worship service has gone on non-stop for over a week now as locals praise and worship the Lord in a massive revival. It has been reported some are traveling across the country to attend the service the college students started. Asbury University is a small private Christian college in Wilmore, Kentucky.
This is not the first time something like this has happened here, either. In 1970, during the height of the Vietnam conflict, a revival happened in the same place, Asbury University. It began in the chapel, and students kept worshipping, praying, and repenting for 144 hours straight. However, unlike the first time, news sources such as Fox News are reporting this time the trend is now happening on other college campuses as well and mentioned specifically the University of Georgia, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Iowa State, and North Dakota State.
Presta says, “As a student leader on campus, I am asking you to remember one of the overall themes of this revival: love in action. We, Asbury students, love you. We love that you are here. We love God and what He is doing. But love is respectful. It is patient and kind, as 1 Corinthians 13 says.”
The impromptu revival has involved random people giving testimonies, reading scripture, engaging in acts of worshipping God, and praying. Since the students began the event, professors and local church leaders have all partaken in this event. Said one person attending, “Nobody was in charge. There was no known leader. There was no known worship team; they rotated every two hours or so. No fancy lighting. Wood seats without cushions. The altar was full nonstop, with people weeping. No offerings.”
As one thinks about the history of this country, this is a pretty dark time, so this, indeed, is a time for prayer.
Copyright © 2022 by Mark S. Schwendau
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Mark S. Schwendau is a retired technology professor who has always had a sideline in news-editorial writing where his byline has been, “Bringing little known news to people who simply want to know the truth.” He classifies himself as a Christian conservative who God cast to be a realist. Mark is an award-winning educator who has published seven books and numerous peer-reviewed trade journal articles, some of which can be found on the Internet. His father was a fireman/paramedic, while his mother was a registered nurse. He holds multiple degrees in technology education, industrial management, OSHA Safety, and Driver’s Education. His website is www.IDrawIWrite.Tech.
Very uplifting. The power of prayer is forever glorious. May God bless America today and always.