God will be in the same room 24 hours a day, seven days a week this entire month.
O2, a Christian student club at the U, is sponsoring a 24-hour-a-day prayer marathon for the month of February.
Students from O2 — along with the Campus Crusade for Christ and the Cross Culture Club — will be praying all day and all night in the basement of the O2 house at 232 S. University Street.
“There’s a guarantee that someone will be there at all times,” said Daniel Brown, adviser for O2.
The prayer marathon coincides with a global movement that will take place in churches around the world, Brown said.
The purpose of the marathon, which has been going on for the last three years, is to bring people closer to God by unifying the community in prayer.
“It’s a very powerful thing,” Brown said. “It’s a good way to communicate with God and to shape and mold yourself to the ideal person he wants us to be.”
Brown said the movement goes back to ancient Europe, where people in a German village prayed all day and all night for 100 years.
During the current marathon, students can not only pray, but also express their commitment to God by writing in journals, talking to other students and writing on the walls.
Cody Winclechter, a junior in electrical engineering, said the marathon is a good way for students to commit to daily prayer.
“You can hang out by yourself or with friends — you just have to set aside a time to commit to it,” said Winclechter, who has prayed 12 hours total so far. “Just like homework, if you set aside a time to do it, you take part in a commitment that ends up benefiting yourself.”
Although the prayer marathon is open to anyone, Brown said the environment is mostly Christian.
There is no time limit or requirement for students to pray.
Robyn Fenn, a junior in psychology, said although an hour may sound like a long time to pray, it passes quickly.
“Time really does fly by,” said Fenn, who has prayed during the marathon one to three hours a day. “When it’s over, though, you just want to go back and do it all over again.”
Students can sign up for the marathon at www.o2utah.com/24-7prayer. Prayer requests can also be sent to marathon participants at [email protected].