Kingdom Come: Oxford and CambridgeBrian Heasley - 31 Oct 2012

Oxbridge students are taking to prayer like rowers to a boat-race.

Two of the most famous Univeristy cities in the world are praying 24-7 right now. In spite of the 800 year-old rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge, both cities are uniting in the Kingdom Come year of prayer with remarkable events taking place at Kings College Chapel, Cambridge last week and at St Aldates in Oxford this Friday.  The event at Kings College Chapel, one of the most iconic buildings in the world, was organised by ‘Hope Cambridge’ and drew 500 worshippers from a variety of church expressions, lining up afterwards to take one hour slots prayer in a nearby basement.

Pete Greig, founder of 24-7 Prayer, told the crowd that there have been more than 500 prayer rooms in the UK and Ireland this year associated with the ‘Kingdom Come 2012 Year of Prayer’ and that Kingdom Come events have been hosted at HTB in London, Glasgow university, and many other locations.  Pete reminded us of the commitment of Oxford martyrs; Latimer, Cranmer and Ridley who sacrificed their lives for the faith, centuries ago, and also of the fact that the UK church today is indeed now growing.

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.”

In November, this wave of prayer flows from Cambridge to Oxford, as 24-7 prayer students and family from all over the nation meet in the city where George Whitfield surrendered his life to Christ. The 24-7 Prayer UK Network Day and the New Wine Day of Prayer will happen at St Aldates Church, following a termly week of 24-7 prayer held in the catacombs of the Oxford Prayer Room.
The roots of 24-7 Prayer grew out of a student prayer room in Chichester twelve years ago, and it’s encouraging to see the love of prayer spreading through future influencers today.
Brian Williams is a graduate of Ohio State University and as a student got heavily involved in ‘Campus America’ an initiative of 24-7 Prayer to put prayer rooms on every campus in the States. His life got hi-jacked as a result:

“It may have seemed foolish, but I’m glad someone had faith to believe in Jesus. Here I am as a result, leading a community of prayer in the heart of the city of Columbus, Ohio. Much like my experience 6 years ago on college campus, each week dozens of students, former gang members, and the like, gathered to encounter Jesus in a place we call Hope City House of Prayer. We scream wildly, we drink lots of coffee, we sing passionately, we follow closely, and we’re still learning to love each other deeply. Our lives are ruined for the better.”

Trent Sheppard wrote the book ‘God on Campus’ to help people remember the roots of a great spiritual US legacy stretching from the founding of the earliest educational colleges in the States to a global movement of nonstop prayer spreading across US campuses.

Now Britain’s top universities are responding to the invitation to help shape a future that is founded on intimacy with Jesus and passion for prayer.

{Recording of the KC:Cambridge event with the kind permission of the Dean at Kings College Chapel Cambridge}