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.

Cru Logos

Your logo is often the first thing people see. Using the official Cru logo keeps your materials looking credible and connected to the bigger mission.

Download your Cru Logos Here!

Get more Logo options at cru.org/brand/logos.

Cru Colors (Main color palette)

Cru’s colors aren’t random—they’re chosen to reflect who we are. Using them helps your flyers, slides, and social posts feel unmistakably Cru. For more options, be sure to check out the full color selection at cru.org/brand/color.

Cru Fonts

Fonts shape how your message feels. Stick with the Cru fonts to keep your materials clean, readable, and on-brand—without overthinking it. Our Cru Fonts are Sora and Inter. Click the name of the font to download it. Below are some basics of how to use them but you can learn more about how to match our brand at cru.org/brand/typography.

Next Step

Explore more branding tools at cru.org/brand

Learn More

A Letter To The Principal

Dear Principal,

We know your job is one of the most important and demanding roles in your community. As leaders with Cru, a faith-based student organization, we want to support your school in a way that is respectful, helpful, and fully aligned with your policies and values.

Cru has been working with high school students since 1969, helping teenagers grow in character, leadership, and purpose. We’ve learned over the years that students thrive when they have consistent, caring adults in their lives—something your staff works tirelessly to provide. We want to complement that effort, not compete with it. We come alongside schools by equipping student-led clubs, serving where there are needs, and building safe relationships that encourage positive development.

Research backs this up. According to the Search Institute, “nothing—nothing—has more impact in the life of a child than positive relationships.” Cru is committed to creating those relationships through our presence on campus, always under the supervision of school administration and in cooperation with a teacher sponsor or staff liaison.

In most of our locations, Cru is an official school club led by students and supported by teacher sponsors. We recognize your responsibility to protect and guide the students under your care, and we work within your guidelines to ensure all activity is appropriate and beneficial.

Our program provides support for students to meet—either on or off campus—in large groups or small groups, to grow in leadership development and in their faith. These environments give students a place to belong, discuss real-life challenges, and encourage one another to make positive choices.

Nothing shapes a student more than a caring relationship—and that’s where Cru shows up.

Here are just a few ways Cru has supported schools around the country:

Hosting student leadership workshops in partnership with student government
Facilitating student mentor groups using The Priceless Project curriculum (developed for public schools)
Organizing family-friendly community events that bring people together in positive ways

We believe every student should have at least one place on campus where they feel seen, safe, and valued. As Principal Michael Halt of Estancia High School shared:

“It’s important that every student have one place that they can turn to. To feel safe. To know that they belong and to feel valued. For a lot of students, it’s our sports programs. For others, it’s some of our extracurricular programs, such as band or drama. And for a large number of students here at Estancia, it’s Cru.”

Thank you for the work you do to lead your school. We would love to be one of the many supports you can count on to care for students well.

Sincerely,
The Cru Team

Next Step

If you're a leader at your school, we'd love to meet with you. CLICK HERE to see if Cru is in your area.

If you are a student or adult wanting to start Cru at your campus, set up an appointment with your principal to talk about it. Check out our How to talk with a Principal article.

how to talk with a principal

A Letter to Local Churches and Ministries

At Cru, we deeply value the role of the local church. We’re not here to replace it, compete with it, or distract from its mission. We’re here to partner.

High school campuses are full of students who are asking deep questions, navigating pressure, and searching for purpose. As a church, you care about those students. So do we. That’s why we want to link arms with you to help reach students where they are—right in their schools.

Cru has been helping caring adults and students go to their campuses since 1967. We provide the tools, resources, and encouragement to come alongside what your church is already doing. Not every church has the capacity to run full-blown student ministries, and even those that do often find schools hard to access. That’s where we can help.

The best way to reach students is through partnership, not competition.

We’re not trying to bring a program to your church. We’re inviting you to join us in bringing hope and care to schools in your community. Whether you send a volunteer to encourage students on campus, help students launch a club, or co-host a local event, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

And we don’t do it alone. We train, background check, and support every adult who works with students. We follow school policies and lead with humility and respect. Our heart is to be a positive presence on campus that supports the school’s goals while also helping students grow in character, leadership, and faith.

We believe churches have something unique to offer students—and so do schools. This isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing it together.