FEBRUARY 23RD 2017 CollegiateDayofPrayer.org

History of the Collegiate Day of Prayer No other nation has enjoyed more student awakenings for as many consecutive years as the United States of America… The original CDOP greatly contributed to this powerful revival legacy. The CDOP is one of America’s oldest prayer covenants and predates the National Day of Prayer. The CDOP is America's First and Oldest Collegiate Prayer Movement. It was an extension of the renewed Concert of Prayer in the 1780’s and a byproduct of America’s Second Great Awakening (1790-1845). By 1815, the Concert of Prayer for Colleges had become a regular feature on the New England campuses of Yale, Williams, Brown and Middlebury. By 1823, almost every major denomination and university in America had fully embraced the practice of a concerted and united day of prayer for colleges. By the end of the 19th century the Day of Prayer for Colleges (CDOP) was uniting and strengthening the student awakenings that were transforming America’s largest colleges. At the height of this prayer movement’s strength, the American church was focusing on only about 200 universities. Today we have over 3,200 four year colleges and universities, and hundreds of two year institutions that desperately need our united and focused prayers. 

History of the Collegiate Day of Prayer “This day is often the beginning of a revival in the college… It is impossible to estimate the influence of this great national prayer meeting.”  Luther D. Wishard (1882) The original Day of Prayer for Colleges was an interdenominational prayer movement that was widely accepted and partnered with almost every evangelical denominations in America. The focus of the original Concert of Prayer for Colleges had a distinct two part emphasis. They prayed for an 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 unreached world. The original CDOP acknowledged that the greater the national need, the greater the need for more united and focused prayer. Great need always demands great unity! The original CDOP was also a multi-generational prayer movement. The pressing spiritual needs of college students demand that the whole family of God needs to get involved. Fathers, mothers, grandparents, church leaders and students alike, all must begin to unite and contend for the next generation. Because the original CDOP was such a large national movement, it wisely allowed for many different prayer meeting styles, forms and expressions of intercessory prayer.

What is the vision of the CDOP? The vision of the CDOP is to mobilize a catalytic, historic movement of united, multi-generational, multi-ethnic, multi-denominational prayer for revival and awakening on college campuses throughout America and unto the ends of the earth.

What we have seen… Every year the number of campuses adopted for prayer increases: from 450 campuses in 2010 to 1815 campuses in 2016. Almost every campus ministry and various churches are linking arms in unity to pray for the next Great Awakening on our college and university campuses. Every year, more students, faculty, intercessors, parents, and grandparents are interceding for more campuses. Every year various prayer groups contact the CDOP with exciting stories of how God moved!

Adopted Campuses Campus Ministries, Churches, and Individuals Registered at the website

Testimonies The University of Washington (50-100) “It was an incredible thing to witness people from different ministries connect with the Lord and with each other through worship via song and asking God for several specific prayer requests for the UW campus and for each other.” Eckard College (1-10) “This is my third year of praying during the CDOP at Eckerd, and it is so encouraging to see the way that the Lord has been answering prayers, multiplying the believers on campus and building them up with a new vision for outreach.”

Testimonies Purdue University (Over 100) “Large public assembly in the South Ballroom of the Purdue Memorial Union. Approximately 300 in attendance. A mix of students, campus ministry staff, local pastors and intercessors, Purdue personnel, professors and international students. It last about two hours combining worship, testimony, prayer and listening/responsive prayer. It was mostly student led including participation of international students. It is being followed-up with another campus wide prayer gathering for March and April along with a three part seminar on campus revival.”

Testimonies 45 Colleges prayed for in Eastern New York (51-100) “We were blessed to get the Sound of Life radio station involved. They broadcasted and promoted this event. Our home church, on the Sunday before had a outbreak of intercessory prayer for those under the age of 25... God moved mightily and our Pastor did not even get to preach. The service ended with me inviting the congregation to continue what God had started on the following Thursday evening.”

Testimonies Harvard University (20 participants) “All the Christian fellowships on Harvard's campus came together to put together a prayer room that was open from 8am to 8pm on the 27th.” Edison State College (11-25 participants) “On the day of the prayer it was just me, at first, walking around our campus clock tower praying out loud for God to show himself and to let people know who he is. I didn't realize anyone was there until I heard other prayers, other students calling out to God.”

When & How? Feb 23rd: Last Thursday of every February Gather a small group prayer meeting. Unite with other churches for a city-wide or regional prayer gathering. Unite with other campus ministries for an all-campus worship night. Mobilize believers in your church or campus ministries to do 24 hours of prayer meetings together.

Who are involved in?