A group of about 40 students and faculty gathered on Derthick lawn Friday night for a prayer walk around Milligan’s campus. The event was organized by Apostolos, Res Life and Vespers.
A prayer walk gives those in attendance the chance to go around campus and pray over specific places and things. It also acts as a safe place for students to meet and mingle with other students while sharing their love for Jesus. “Students can come here and destress, talk to others and just talk to God,” said senior and organizer Teve Mushayamunda.
The walk started at Hardin Hall, where attendees wrote down prayer requests on an index card, found a partner and then prayed for each other. The group then went to Webb Hall where they stood in a circle holding hands and taking turns praying for the students living in Webb and all men on campus.
The next place visited was the Village, where attendants were split into groups of three or four and prayed for each other and all the upperclassmen at Milligan. Next, the group made their way to Hart Hall where they participated in a guided prayer. Three prompts were read pertaining to all girls across campus with pauses in between so the group could pray silently about the given prompt.
The walk ended at Sesquicentennial Plaza behind the library with singing lead by the Vespers’ worship team of Mike Anakwe, Cora Wymer, Aly McMillan and AJ Trabold. The singing portion of the walk got cut short due to rain, resulting in everyone running for cover at the end.
For some, a prayer walk means more than just walking around praying, it means coming together. “I think a prayer walk at Milligan unites us on the basis of fellowship and community,” said senior Colby McKeehan.
McKeehan is a regular participant of prayer walks at Milligan. He said that his favorite part of the prayer walks is seeing people step up, become a leader and be the first one to pray to get the ball rolling. “I know that each person who steps up really cares for the people attending and for this whole community,” said McKeehan.
He also talked about why he enjoys prayer walks and what he thinks people get out of participating in them. “The purpose of a prayer walk is to lift each other up and make known the Kingdom of God,” said McKeehan. “I hope those that attended the walk left with a sense of belonging both in a relationship with God, as well as a relationship with one another.”
He also added that a prayer walk is even those who do not attend. “No matter their religion or background, everyone is seen and everyone is prayed for,” said McKeehan. “No one should feel as though they are going through life alone, and events like the prayer walk demonstrates that we [Milligan] are family.”
Headline photo: Students gather in front of Hardin Hall to pray for the campus.