WATCH LIVE: Collegiate Day of Prayer Arrives as Revival Sweeps College Campuses

Paul Petitte

02-27-2025

Today is the Collegiate Day of Prayer, when students, pastors, and leaders unite in faith, praying for transformation at their schools.

It comes amid a spiritual awakening that has been sweeping college campuses nationwide, partly fueled by the prayers and outreach efforts of various campus ministries.

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That spiritual awakening has been taking hold on college campuses nationwide for the past two years as tens of thousands of students gather for worship, prayer, and baptisms.

The movement has seen unprecedented attendance and commitments to faith. Cale Matlock, a student at the University of Arkansas, described the experience as powerful. "It was awesome, just having 10,000 people that all love Jesus and are worshipping God," Matlock said.

The organization Unite US has been at the forefront of these gatherings, with events drawing thousands of students. Tonya Prewett, the founder of the organization, highlighted the growing participation.

"We started at Auburn University, we had 5,000 students show up, we had over 200 get baptized," Prewett said. "We next went to FSU—Florida State, the second biggest party school in the nation. We had 4,500 students come and we had about 350 students get baptized at that event."

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Other ministries are also reporting increased engagement. According to InterVarsity, decisions for Christ rose by 33% last year. Markyel Pittman, a student at Jackson State University, described how prayer has become a regular fixture on campus.

"Prayer got so contagious with us to where we had a prayer service right behind us, right where we are," Pittman said. "A prayer service right here almost every week."

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes reported its highest number of salvations since the pandemic, and the international ministry Cru recently surpassed the one million mark in commitments to faith globally.

Pastor Jonathan Pokluda, a well-known college speaker, noted that many students are coming to these gatherings burdened by past mistakes.

"They're coming in with guilt and shame. STDs, unwanted pregnancies, abortions," Pokluda said. "And they come here and we're showing them the one—the only one—who can really deal with their sin, is Jesus Christ."

The revival has also made its way to the football field. At Ohio State University, players used their national championship victory as a platform to share their faith.

"I just got to give my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ all the glory and all the praise, man. Amen. Amen," said Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.

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His teammate, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, echoed that sentiment.

"All praise to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this moment," Egbuka said. "The way He has been moving on this team has been incredible."

Spiritual awakening actually marked the entire season at Ohio State. Egbuka and other players had begun their season by leading thousands of students in a campus-wide testimony service, which resulted in 50 baptisms.

And one month after Ohio State won the championship, a massive revival was held on campus in which nearly 2,000 students chose Christ in one night.

The unfolding collegiate revival echoes the impact of Asbury University's completely spontaneous spiritual movement at the beginning of 2023, which drew global attention. A representative from Asbury said students and staff continue to feel its effects.

"Our students continue to be hungry. They continue to lead," the representative said. "They've gone and they've shared. They've had over 50 groups go to ministries and churches both in the United States and overseas."

Prewett believes the movement will only continue to grow.

"I believe it's starting with college students, and the hunger and fire we're seeing among college students and college campuses is just taking off," Prewett said. "It's a movement."

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