Campus Wisconsin

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit UW-Oshkosh for a campus prayer room kick-off event on a Tuesday, and found myself in absolutely awe once again of how the Spirit moves and brings His family together around Himself through prayer. The week before this event I had met Derek Nelson at an Alpha conference through Dayn Lukes, my friend and state co-coordinator, who both had been friends years ago and just recently reconnected. Derek gave us the invitation to a prayer room kick-off event and explained a bit of his story in how God moved in him and four friends two years ago, which caused their response to gather three times a week in prayer. Out of these five friends’ investment and pressing in for two years has come a call to their campus, the students and organizations, to pray together 24-7, and a room that has been dedicated for just that purpose.

A group of us from the Madison Boiler Room drove out on a Tuesday night to visit these crazy prayer warriors, and after an hour and a half [and a couple U-turns], we arrived at the UW-OshKosh Union and entered a room full of students worshiping passionately. After the music segment, Derek emceed the night and invited a representative from each Christian org on campus to come up, each prepared to share their heart and a bit of info about the prayer room—some glowing with excited as they spoke about it. As Dayn was not able to be present that night, Derek read a letter of encouragement from him after a showing of a video story Dayn and some others had put together about a prayer garage that God used to do much at UW La Crosse. When the session broke, the students swarmed the 14 boards/sign-ups in the back of the room, each representing a day of the next two weeks, and had every hour filled within 20 minutes—something I personally have never witnessed before! Finally, the entire group shuffled out the door and marched down the street to the prayer room located in a former frat house, recently purchased by a Christian fellowship and repurposed for intentional housing. A commissioning prayer was given as excitement was still fresh and thick in the air. We madisonians had the privilege of joining a few leaders in the prayer room for a portion of the first hour.

It was apparent to all of us visiting that night that God was moving in Oshkosh in a powerful way, and we felt honored to be able to witness and participate in it. Since the end of the official season of prayer last Tuesday, many have continued signing up for prayer slots nearly filling the rest of the third week. As well, this week Derek was invited to share about the power of unity through prayer on campus to over a hundred students in a World Religions class. Come on!

Funny to see that yet again, God chose to start this ‘big something’ by breathing on a few friends and calling them close to Himself, long before they had any idea of it. In reference to a previous post, I seem to find myself asking once again, “What are you up to, Papa?”