Neighborhood walk to highlight week of prayer

By Jeannette Cruz
GCU News Bureau

Kristene Delgado spent her spring break last year serving families in the Haitian village of Fovo. She planted trees, helped with laundry, provided clean water, painted several homes and engaged in a dance.

For Delgado, a Grand Canyon University head leader of the student-run Global Outreach prayer team, the mission helped her recognize God’s will by works and the gospel. It was there that she also learned about the undeniable power of prayer.

"I hadn’t given my life to Christ before going to Haiti, so I was nervous," Delgado said. "But the amazing thing is, God knows what you’re going to be asking for and saying before you say it – yet going into conversation with Him is the hardest thing to do."

That conversation will be the focus of Prayer 120, which starts Monday at GCU. Njenga Maina, global outreach coordinator in the office of Spiritual Life, said the weeklong event will emphasize the need to pray and the blessings of prayer through various themes, ranging from praise and worship, the importance of prayer and praying in community for the world.

The goal is to provide students basic instructions to pray for a solid 120 hours and to lead them into prayer as a community, Maina said.  

"When we pray, we respect God’s will,” Maina said. “At times when we think of prayer we think of more personal prayer – a prayer for myself. But we want to make it a larger event. We want to pray for the church. We want to pray for the rest of the world.

"A lot of times we also think prayer is only for special people or special gifts, but all people can pray. Sometimes these big, nationwide issues make us wonder if our prayers are being answered and if these issues will ever come to an end. … God is able. He is powerful, and we hope every student and employee can spend at least an hour reflecting and praying on these issues."

One important addition to the week this year is the neighborhood walk for students Thursday night. Students will meet on campus and then walk in prayer in matching T-shirts through the streets of the surrounding community.

“We want students to see some of the things happening in our own backyard and hopefully have an effect on people out in the community,” Maina said.

Delgado joined the Global Outreach prayer team after her positive experience at her mission trip in Haiti. She said she felt a struggle in her will to pray until she joined Global Outreach, and she believes that this week is essential for students who want to express their faith in a dialogue with God.

Prayer 120 events include:

Contact Jeannette Cruz at (602) 639-6631 or [email protected].