In the spring of 1945, a group of Baylor students prayed for spiritual renewal for 90 straight days. Their prayers led to a movement that helped inspire ministries on campus and around the world, from the Journeyman mission program to the Passion Conferences.
Last week, hundreds of Baylor students again gathered in Jesus’ name for FM72, an annual 72-hour on-campus prayer and worship event coordinated by Baylor’s Office of Spiritual Life in conjunction with local churches and campus ministries.
The entire event was anchored on Fountain Mall, right in the heart of campus. A prayer tent featured round-the-clock worship and prayer, and students gathered four straight nights (Sunday through Wednesday) for special worship services led by a variety of pastors and speakers. [Get a taste of the worship in this short video.] And more than 30 Baylor students were baptized on Wednesday night.
“There’s something about learning how to pray that’s different,” says Dr. Charles Ramsey (BA ’97, MA ’00), associate chaplain and director for Campus Ministries & Church Connections at Baylor. “There’s something about lingering in prayer. There’s something about having this consecrated space where I’m going there with the intention — I think that intentionality’s very important — this intention to go pray. That is different, and it’s very special.”
As FM72 has become established as a staple on the Baylor calendar, it has also become an example of the intentional ways Baylor seeks to help students grow in their relationships with God.
“FM72 has become a season of consecration, where we are reminded of the love of God and the invitation of Jesus to be disciples,” Ramsey says. “The event is an invitation to take inventory, to think through where I am, where I’ve been and where I’m going.”
Sic ’em, Bears!
