Prayer for College Freshmen

This time of year is an opportune season to intercede for and minister to incoming students. You can use the following as a guide for your prayers. 

Christian Union Day and Night is one of three ministry arms of Christian Union, alongside Christian Union Universities and Christian Union Cities.

Christian Union Universities (CUU) develops transformative Christian leaders at the nation's most influential universities. CUU faculty promote the good news of Jesus Christ to all students, whether they come to college as Christians or non-Christians. Many young men and women arrive at university with no intention of joining a Christian ministry or local church, but by the grace of God and the efforts of CUU faculty and student leaders, they embrace Jesus Christ and are forever changed to live for Him. One student recently said, “I came [here] to get rich. But, I’m leaving as a slave to Christ.”

The most critical time to reach incoming students for Christ is the first few weeks of their freshmen year. During these opening weeks, it’s as if the concrete is poured but has not yet hardened. Frosh are often willing to try a group or activity that they hadn’t previously considered. However, after those initial weeks, it is harder to recruit new students to join the ministry later in their college career. 

Therefore, CUU faculty and student leaders conduct an intense, strategic Freshmen Welcoming Campaign at the outset of every academic year. Our targeted prayers for the Freshmen Welcoming Campaign will change the course of individual students’ lives, the work of God at each university, and the next generation of leadership in our nation.

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And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  
— Luke 10:2 

At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ.  
— Colossians 4:3 

1. Lord of the harvest, thank You for raising up CUU faculty and student leaders who are working at the harvest fields of these schools: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard College, Harvard Law School, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Stanford University, and Yale University.
2. Fill each CUU faculty member and student leader with the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses for Christ, in Jesus’ name. 
3. Holy Spirit, visit each CUU ministry at their Pre-retreat as they plan and pray for the upcoming Freshmen Welcoming Campaign.
4. God of wisdom, give each CUU ministry team divine insight as they plan events and activities to recruit as many freshmen as possible.
5. Let the deep compassion of Jesus Christ for the incoming freshmen control each CUU faculty and student leader, in Jesus’ name. 
6. Prepare the hearts of incoming freshmen, in Jesus’ name.
7. Give unbelieving freshmen a curiosity to understand the message of Jesus Christ, in the mighty name of Jesus.
8. Send the convicting power of the Spirit to the hearts of non-Christians students, so that they cry out, “What must I do to be saved?”
9. Let believing freshmen be unashamed of the gospel of Christ and quickly involve themselves in Christian fellowship and discipleship.
10. Lead hurting freshmen to CUU faculty and student leaders to find help and healing in Jesus’ name. 
11. Open wide doors for the gospel at each university, in the name of Jesus. 
12. Arrange divine appointments between freshmen and CUU faculty and student leaders, in Jesus’ name.
13. Let every freshmen CUU Bible Course be filled, in Jesus’ name.
14. Provide CUU Bible Course volunteer leaders where needed to meet overflowing demands, in Jesus’ name.
15. Raise up generous ministry partners to expand the number of ministry faculty and opportunities at each school, in Jesus’ name.
16. Sustain every CUU faculty and student leader as they work from early morning to late at night for weeks in a row to recruit new freshmen.
17. Answer every prayer for Your kingdom to come at these universities, in Jesus’ name. 
18. Send a spirit of repentance throughout every dormitory, classroom, student center, fraternity, sorority, athletic team, and student club, in the name of Jesus.
19. Burn away all deceptive ideas that lead students away from the truth of Jesus Christ.
20. Push back every evil spirit sent to kill, steal, and destroy the students at these schools, in Jesus’ mighty name.
21. Let holiness be the desire of every Christian student and minister on each campus, in Jesus’ name.
22. Send a spirit of prayer and intercession to each university, in Jesus’ name.
23. Let zeal for Your name and Your purposes consume every soul at each university, in Jesus’ name.
24. Let the Bible be the most treasured book at each school, in Jesus’ name. 
25. Let love, forgiveness, and unity overtake every Christian at each school, in Jesus’ name.
26. Let non-Christians come to faith because they see Your love in Your people.
27. Take away all competitiveness, envy, and rivalry from Christian ministries and churches, in Jesus’ name.
28. Work miracles, signs, and wonders in the name of Your Son, so that many would see and believe.
29. Equip and empower Christians to reason with and persuade non-Christians that Jesus is the way, truth, and life, and that there is salvation in no other name.
30. Provide every spiritual gift to the Body of Christ at each university to build up Christians and testify to non-Christians. 
31. Grant every Christian to love their enemies at each university, in Jesus’ name.
32. Let every CUU faculty and student leader be salt and light at each school, in the name of Jesus.
33. Bring mighty testimonies of Your love and power from each university, in Jesus’ name.
34. Be famously glorified at each school where CUU ministers, in the name of Jesus.
35. Thank You for establishing Christian Union University’s ministries; bless and replenish every CUU associate and their families for their sacrificial labors in Jesus’ name. 
36. Thank You for the privilege of interceding for Your great name and purposes to be done at these universities, in Jesus’ wonderful name.