Something is happening amongst public universities. This last spring semester has been unusual as time and time again, we have encountered many students who have a hunger and curiosity for Jesus. By the time the spring semester is underway, a lot of students have already chosen the friend groups to which they want to belong. Yet as we labored on campus this spring, we found students feeling empty and sincerely hungry for the Gospel and for community. As Jesus said in John 4:35, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest?’ Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” The Holy Spirit was moving, and we started praying how to cooperate with Him!
It started on February 7th when I and our student leaders gathered for our regular meeting. As we prayed and read our opening scripture, we were impressed to pray that God would breathe life onto our campus--to start moving mightily and in new ways upon the students that we had met and had yet to meet. We had previously been prayer-walking regularly on the campus and consistently being present with those we met (praying for them, having lunch with them, playing basketball with them, etc.). Little did we know how God was about to open our eyes to the way that He was working and wanted to answer the prayer. God started to do a new thing, and students from various directions and those who we thought weren’t interested, started asking how they could start a relationship with God and also some explained how they were having encounters with God personally as well. Here is one of the stories of the Holy Spirit’s work this past semester.
Friday, February 10th, one student, who had in previous years not really desired to know about Christ and had even asked for us to discontinue talking to him about it, reached out and asked if we could hang out. As we walked at the local park, he opened up and shared how he had gone to Africa the summer before and while there had started listening to a Christian radio station. A couple of other things happened in his life, and he was convicted that God was trying to get his attention. After getting back to the States, he reached out to me and said that he wanted to know how to start a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He then started to relay how he felt that Jesus was coming soon and that there seemed to be a spiritual awakening happening.
Stay tuned for next week’s story!