Prayer and fasting has long been a part of church tradition. Now Union asks that this tradition be continued during the search for a new university president, designating the month of April as the month for student participation.
Last week the university sent an email asking students to join in the through prayer and fasting. They were asked to sign up for a day using an online calendar.
The idea of prayer and fasting for the selection of the new university president came from Norm Hill, chairman for the Union University board of trustees and presidential search committee.
“Mr. Hill approached me several weeks ago with this idea of bathing this process in prayer,” said Todd Brady, vice president for church relations. “[He] has such a heart for the Lord, and such a heart for Union that he wanted to — right at the beginning — set the trajectory for this process and bathe it in prayer.”
Brady said the decision was made to designate April as the month for students and that “the motivation behind that is the realization that Union University is all about students.”
Kayley Humphrey, junior psychology major, said dedicating a month to the students “shows how much Union does care for its students and [how] they are focusing on us and what’s best for us in this time of seeking new leadership for our student body.”
Brady said participation in prayer and fasting is a chance for people to join with the Lord.
“The opportunity to participate in the presidential search process through prayer and fasting is an opportunity to participate in the work that God is doing,” he said. “This is a way for each one of us to come before the Lord and petition him and ask that his favor be on us.”
Brady emphasized that while some have been given the task of searching for a new president who will lead the process, signing up to pray and fast for a day is a way that everyone can take part.
When someone signs up to pray and fast for a certain day using the online calendar, that day turns a shade of red.
As more people sign up for that specific day, its shade grows darker with each sign up. The month of April is completely filled with red and the days continue to darken daily as more people sign up.
“I think a lot of Christians today forget what fasting and prayer really can do,” said Stephen Ballard, sophomore biblical studies major. “We kind of just see it as a part [of] church relation rather than an actual, active, spiritual principle that really effectively helps people.”
Brady said that for years, Union’s prayer has been that of Psalm 90:17, that God would bestow favor to Union.
Looking back at the last couple of decades, he said, it is obvious that God has shown favor to the university.
“The desire, as we go through [the process of finding a new president], is to continue a focus on the Lord, understanding that if we take one step that does not have the favor of God, it is a misstep,” Brady said.
He added the idea is for the university to continue to pray for God’s favor, not only for the university but also specifically for the new president and those on the search committee throughout the process.
“The person that God brings to Union University to be the president is going to be the president of this school and he’s going to be the president of students,” Brady said. “While we want to invite as many people as possible, we want to give students the first opportunity to be involved in this process.”
