September 17, 2026 by

One of the most visible ways I’ve seen God work through my time at Cedarville is in the deepening of my prayer life. When I was younger, I tended to think of prayer as just an extra thing to do to please God, but in college, I’ve realized just how central it is to the Christian life.  

Below are four suggestions I have for anyone looking to grow their prayer life and, ultimately, their walk with the Lord! 

Pray in Community 

One incredible element of the Cedarville experience is the opportunity for Christian community. Whether it’s through your hall, your major, or an extracurricular activity, I’d highly recommend finding a group of friends to pray with and encourage.  

Honestly share your sorrows, joys, struggles, and triumphs and pray together as brothers or sisters running the Christian race together. Make a habit of asking friends for prayer requests and following up on them a week or two later.  

Not only will this foster a tight-knit community, but it will hugely impact each of your walks with the Lord! 

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). 

Pray at Mealtimes 

Praying before meals was honestly a ritual I took for granted before college. It was just something my family always did together.  

Now that I’m on my own, I have had to almost relearn the habit of thanking God for my Chick-fil-A before diving in. However, this is a habit that is worth sticking to, even when it feels inconvenient.  

Entering the presence of God and being still before Him for a few moments in the middle of your day helps recenter your heart and mind on what is true and good. And if you’re getting a meal with friends, this is a great opportunity to pray specifically for them! 

Remember that the Lord sees and cares about every part of your life — from the catastrophic to the mundane. Every good gift comes from Him, and in His presence, there is fullness of joy.  

So don’t underestimate the power of routinely surrendering your afternoon, your day, and your life to God. It might completely change the way you see and use it. 

Image of girl sitting at a table outside. She's next to a street, and in front of her is a lunch tray with food and a second bowl of food in front of her.

Pray in a Journal 

Do you struggle to include intentional, silent prayer in your daily quiet time with the Lord? Hey, same! That’s part of why I switched to prayer journaling a few years back. Writing my prayers down in one place has been such a special way to be more intentional with how I’m praying as well as to keep track of what I’ve prayed.  

I typically write down praises to God for who He is, gratitude for what He has done in my life, and requests for myself or others. Sometimes I’ll incorporate verses or themes from whatever passage of Scripture I read that day.  

It has been so cool to flip back through my journal and see how God has worked through situations I’ve prayed about, grown my maturity and faith in Him, and blessed me more than I ever could have asked for or imagined.  

Our God is a faithful God, and His past works are worth remembering and turning to when new struggles come. His character never changes. If you’ve seen His goodness in the past, write it down so you don’t forget! 

Image of a prayer journal that has been written in open on a blanket.

Pray for the World 

An activity that has had a huge impact on my value of prayer as a college student has been becoming active in the International Justice Mission student chapter here at Cedarville. Our chapter holds weekly meetings where we gather together and pray for God to rescue those trapped in slavery and abuse.  

These regular rhythms of bringing huge requests humbly before the throne of God have taught me so much about the value and purpose of prayer.  

Prayer is not just a nice gesture or proof that we’re faithful Christians — it literally changes the world. The Lord delights in acting upon the requests of His people. Asking Him for justice and mercy in worldwide issues isn’t a last resort for people who feel powerless; it’s the Church’s first line of defense.  

There are various organizations (or “orgs”) and programs on campus that hold regular prayer-oriented events! Besides the IJM chapter (a personal favorite), other prayer group opportunities include the Synergy Initiative (a church-planting initiative), the Society of Engineers Aiding Missions (SEAM), Tau Delta Kappa (the honors academic org), the evangelism org, and The Missions org.  

You can find info about these and many other ways to get involved on campus on Cedarville’s website. 

Prayer is a crucial element of incorporating your relationship with God into your daily rhythms. My hope and prayer for you is that you would enjoy a rich and life-giving prayer life throughout your time at Cedarville and beyond! 

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