Campus Prayer Walk Leader's Guide

Campus Prayer Walk Leader’s Guide

Campus Prayer Walk: Leader’s Guide

If you have never led a prayer walk before, this Leader’s Guide provides a grab-n-go template for those who desire one. There is not only one way to do a prayer walk, but this guide will lead you through a prayer experience on campus that will last around 30-60 minutes. Feel free to customize it to match your own style. In it, you will find:

a basic framework divided into sections.
sample scripts to use, as needed.

Welcome The Team: (1-3 minutes)

Gather everyone at the meeting spot and welcome them.

LEADER: Hello, everyone! My name is__________. Thank you so much for coming today to prayer walk the campus together!

Orient the Team: (2-3 minutes)

It is important to let people know what to expect. Here are some ideas of things you may want to communicate:

Explain “campus prayer walking.” (It is simply praying for a campus while you walk around it.)
Provide an overview of your plan.
Include the time/place you will regroup to process/close in prayer.

Specify what time the event will end.

Open in Prayer Together - (5-7 minutes) (optional)

If you want everyone to open in prayer all together at the meeting point before you all begin walking around the campus in smaller groups to pray, you will want to read on. If not, stop now and jump directly to the next section labeled Begin Prayer Walk.

The basic format you will see in this Open in Prayer section includes:

read pre-selected scripture passages.
thank God for who He is.
pause to reflect and confess silently.
ask God to guide, unify, and protect you as you prayer walk.

SAMPLE FORMAT with SCRIPTS:

LEADER : Jesus, today we remember the promise You made to us in Matthew 18:19-20 that says: “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.” Wow, thank you, Lord, for being here with us today.

We THANK you for Who You are… Right now, we take a few minutes to remember some of the attributes we appreciate about You.

[Invite people to think of an attribute of God for which they are thankful and then in a single word or short phrase, say it out loud. As the leader, you may need to go first. For example, you might say something like, “God, you are abounding in love.” Allow two minutes for others to participate, then continue.]

Now, Lord, before we begin this walk, we invite You in the words of Psalm 139: 23-24 to “Search me, oh God, and know my heart…Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” We PAUSE now to allow the Holy Spirit to point out anything inside us that offends Him.

[Allow one to two minutes to listen. Then say…]

Take a moment to silently CONFESS those things to Him. [Allow one to two minutes of silence. Then proceed.]

Now, Holy Spirit, we ASK you to guide our prayers today. Help us see the things about which You want us to pray. We ask You to unify us and protect us as we walk. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Begin Prayer Walk (suggested 20-40 minutes)

Before you send people out to walk, here is a list of basic things you may want to consider doing:

Select a prayer walking guide. Provide digital or printed versions. We recommend:
If using a guide above, you may want to go over it. Ask if anyone has any questions.
If desired, organize people into groups now. Usually this means breaking up into groups of two or three. Helpful Tip: Try to make sure there is at least one person in each group who is comfortable praying out loud.

LEADER: It is time to WALK the campus and PRAY. Allow the Holy Spirit to prompt your prayers.

You will have until [insert number of minutes] to pray. Please return to [insert meeting spot] by [insert specific time]. At that time, we will briefly share anything that felt significant to us and close in prayer by [insert time].

God often meets with us as we pray. Taking time to regroup and debrief what happened after a prayer walk creates an opportunity for everyone to hear what happened/ways God moved.

Regroup & Debrief (5-10 minutes)

This section helps you as the leader bring closure to the prayer walking experience. God often meets with us as we pray. Taking time to regroup and debrief what happened creates an opportunity for everyone to:

hear what happened/ways God moved.
be encouraged and strengthened.
express gratitude.
close in prayer.

SAMPLE SCRIPT:

LEADER : It brings me great joy to think of our Father in heaven moving into action as He heard our prayers today. It brings me joy to think of Jesus being right here with us the whole time.

Before we close, we are going to take a 5-10 minutes together to share anything you experienced today during the walk that felt significant or meaningful. This is an invitation, not an obligation. So no pressure. But we take time to share these kinds of stories to strengthen and encourage each other in our faith.

[Allow time for people to share. Remember, a little silence is ok. Some people need a minute to gather their thoughts or courage before they speak. You may need to share something first or ask someone else ahead of time to go first to get the ball rolling.]

Close in Prayer (1 minute)

SAMPLE CLOSING PRAYER

LEADER: Holy Spirit, thank You for being our guide today and our constant companion every day. Jesus, thank You for being right here with us. And Heavenly Father, thank You for listening to our prayers and for moving into action on our behalf. We trust You wholeheartedly to answer our prayers in Your perfect way and in Your perfect time, for Your glory and our good. Would You please bless us and protect us now as we return home? In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Don’t Forget to Thank Everyone for Coming!

Next Step

Gather some students and caring adults in the community and set up an informal prayer walk for next week. It does not have to be perfect, just get to praying!

Next Step

Set up a meeting with your principal. Before you meet, prepare with these simple steps...

Download and print off a brochure.
Visit cru.org/highschool to get familiar with the site.
Pray for your principal before your meeting (he/she is a person too!).
Talk to a friend or teacher who could go with you.

cru high school

Raise Support for Your Mission Trip: What You Need to Know

Going on a mission trip is exciting, but paying for it can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re a student or a adult leader, this guide will help make the fundraising process easier, more meaningful, and faith-building.

Three Main Ways Students Pay for Trips

Students typically cover mission trip costs through some combination of these three ways:

Parent contributions
Personal savings or part-time work
Raising financial support from a team of donors

Most students raise support for all or a portion of their trip and they often say it’s one of the most spiritually stretching and rewarding parts of the journey.

What is Support Raising?

Support raising means inviting people to give financially to your mission. These donors become ministry partners, not just funders, joining you in reaching high school students for Christ. It’s teamwork: you go, they send.
The most effective tool is a personal support letter that explains your mission and invites people to give. If you’re going on a Cru mission trip, you’ll be coached through the process step by step with a mentor to guide you.

Support raising is not begging—it's building a team to reach the world with Jesus.

Debunking Support Raising Myths

Myth #1: “People will think I’m just going on vacation.”

Truth: Sure, you’ll travel and enjoy the journey, but your purpose is clear—sharing the gospel and growing in your faith.

Myth #2: “I’m just begging for money.”

Truth: You’re building a prayer and giving team to help reach the world for Jesus. You’re inviting others into a shared mission and they will benefit from being a part of your journey.

Myth #3: “I’m alone in this.”

Truth: With Cru, you’ll receive a GoPac guide book, step-by-step instructions, and a support coach who will walk with you every step of the way.

God has called you and He will provide.

Verses to Encourage You

Matthew 28:16-18: You’re answering God’s call to go.
Ephesians 3:20: God can do more than you imagine.
2 Corinthians 8:1-5: It’s biblical to ask others to give.
Philippians 4:19, Genesis 22:14: God is your Provider.
Acts 20:35, Matthew 6:19-20: Giving blesses both the giver and the mission.

Hebrews 13:21, 2 Corinthians 9:8: God will equip and provide.

A Prayer to Start the Journey

“Lord, thank You for being a God who provides. Help me trust You as I step out in faith to build a team of prayerful and generous partners. You already know who will support this mission. Help me be faithful and bold. I want to follow You anywhere, so more students can know You. Amen.”

Next Step

Write down three people you could invite to be part of your support team then pray over those names and start reaching out.

10 Powerful Prayer Ideas for Students

Prayer fuels every great movement of God. If students want to see their friends come to know Jesus, it won’t happen without prayer. But let’s be honest. Prayer can be hard to keep up. It’s easy to say we’ll pray and then forget, run out of ideas, or just feel awkward.

That’s where a little structure helps. Below are practical, student-friendly ideas that make prayer feel more natural, consistent, and even fun. Leaders can use these to encourage students to build a lifestyle of praying for the people around them. Students can try one or all of them and watch how God shows up.

Top 5 Lists

Ask students to write down the names of three to five people they want to see come to know Jesus. These might be friends, classmates, or even teachers. Call it their “Top 5” list, meaning the people they’re praying for most often.

Encourage them to:

Keep the list visible, like in a Bible, on a mirror, inside a locker, or saved as a phone note
Set a daily reminder to pray
Celebrate when someone comes to Christ, then add a new name

Bonus idea: create bookmarks with a blank list and hand them out at Bible study.

Student Prayer Triplets

This strategy is simple and powerful. Three students meet together three times a week to pray for three friends each. That means nine people are being lifted up in prayer throughout the week.

They can meet:

Before or after school
During lunch
On FaceTime or in a group chat
At Bible study or during a regular hangout

Praying with friends adds accountability and boldness. It also encourages students as they hear each other pray for real people they care about.

Locker-to-Locker Prayer

Challenge students to pray for the five lockers to their right and the five to their left. If they don’t use lockers, they can adapt this to desks, bus seats, or homes on their street.

Print a simple tracker or phone wallpaper so they can write names and pray daily. Or print these bookmarks out for them.

You can’t overdo prayer—especially when it comes to reaching your school.

Prayer Walk the Campus

Prayer walking gives students a chance to pray with their eyes open and their hearts engaged. As they move through the campus, they can pray quietly for people and places they see.

Encourage them to:

Pray for classrooms and teachers
Cover lunch areas, sports fields, and busy hallways
Listen for what God might want to show them as they walk

Adult leaders could join students for a prayer walk before school or after a meeting. See our prayer walk articles for more.

Choose a Prayer Champion

Every team benefits from someone who keeps prayer front and center. A Prayer Champion can be a student or leader who loves prayer and helps others stay focused.

This person might:

Lead regular prayer times
Send out reminders or updates
Organize prayer events
Celebrate answered prayer

It doesn’t need to be formal. Just find someone willing to encourage prayer and lead by example.

Start a Student Prayer Group Chat

Create a group text or chat thread with people who want to pray regularly. Use it to:

Share updates and requests
Celebrate when someone makes a spiritual decision
Keep each other consistent

Even short messages can keep prayer alive throughout the week.

Host Monthly Prayer Nights

Make prayer gatherings fun and meaningful. Once a month, plan a night with food, games, and space to pray together.

Try using a simple model like ACTS:

Adoration (praising God for who He is)
Confession (being honest before God)
Thanksgiving (expressing gratitude for things God has done)
Supplication (asking God for help)

Mix in worship, testimonies, and small group prayer to keep it fresh.

When students pray together, it creates a culture where spiritual conversations feel normal.

Use the Five Finger Prayer

This method helps students pray when they’re on the go. Each finger reminds them of someone to pray for start with the thumb and end with the pinky:

Thumb: Those closest to you
Pointer: Those who teach or guide you
Middle: Leaders and people in authority
Ring: Those who are struggling, hurting or don’t know Jesus
Pinky: Yourself and your walk with God

Here’s a version you can share: Five Finger Prayer Guide

Partner with Adult Prayer Networks

Prayer doesn’t have to start with students. Many adults are already praying for your school.

Look for:

Local churches
Moms in Prayer groups
Parents who are spiritually invested

Reach out, share updates, and invite them to pray alongside you. This builds unity and multiplies impact.

Start a 24-Hour Prayer Chain

This one takes a little planning but creates big momentum. Ask people to sign up for 15-minute prayer blocks over a full day or week. You’ll end up with hours of focused, non-stop prayer.

Use a shared calendar or online sign-up tool. This is a great option before a big outreach or at the start of a new semester.

Final Thoughts

Prayer doesn’t have to be complicated. These ideas help students take simple steps that lead to deeper connection with God and a growing burden for their friends. The more students pray, the more they’ll see God move.

Next Step

Try one of these ideas this week with your group. Start with something simple like a Top Five List or Prayer Triplets and see what God does.