When Students Pray: How Friday Nights in Towson Became a Movement

Towson, MD — On any given Friday night, while most college students are looking for weekend plans, a group of students from Towson University gathers at Valley Baptist Church for something different: worship, prayer, and community under the banner of Gracelife, part of BCM/D’s Baptist Collegiate Ministry.

Brandon Arnold talks to a new student following the prayer time. (Photo by Morgan Lewis)

It didn’t start big. In fact, it began with just a pastor, a need for music, and a single student voice backed by a track.

Then came Brandon Arnold. Brandon, a Towson University student, had only recently come to faith. Six months after being saved, he learned that his name had been on a prayer list at his high school in Ellicott City.

“They would make these long lists of people in the parking lots of our school,” he said. “They prayed for us by name. When I found out, it was powerful. I knew God answered those prayers because I was one of those who got saved.”

That discovery left a mark.

When Brandon arrived at Towson, he began talking with students on campus and realized many of them had questions about faith, community, and God. “I just thought, what if we prayed for them too?” he said.

Students sing praises together as part of their Friday night gatherings. (Photo by Morgan Lewis)

He started with a small list of names.

By the end of spring 2025, there were more than a hundred. Students began gathering on Friday nights, sometimes for hours, simply to pray over each name.

“We didn’t have a plan,” Brandon said. “We just knew people needed prayer. Students would show up, sometimes thirty at a time, in one room. It was messy, unorganized, but people kept coming back. They were hungry for God to move.”

As the list grew, so did the gatherings. Students began adding worship, first with a single voice and a track, then with live music as others stepped in to play and sing. Friday nights soon became a mix of prayer, music, and fellowship.

Delaney McDaniel, a Towson student, was invited by friends, and said the nights changed how she saw community.

Fellowship is a huge part of the Friday night gatherings. (Photo by Morgan Lewis)

“Friday nights at Valley have enhanced my sense of community,” she said. “It’s allowed me to fellowship with people my age who want to learn more about the Lord. That’s helped my faith grow, too.”

Rebecca Farris, another student, shared how the gatherings encouraged her.

“It’s amazing to be in an environment where people my age want to spend their Friday nights honoring God,” she said. “I love the worship, the prayer, even the impromptu moments where people start singing. It’s another outlet to praise God.”

Brandon said one moment in particular showed him the impact of prayer.

“We were praying for a Muslim student we had met on campus,” he said. “One night, I was in the union by myself, praying specifically for God to open a door to talk to someone about the gospel. Minutes later, this student came up to me and asked, ‘What’s your favorite thing about the Bible?’ We talked for thirty minutes about faith, Islam, and Christianity. It was like God was showing us He really does answer prayers.”

Today, Friday nights at Valley have become more than prayer meetings. Students gather to worship, eat together, play volleyball and board games, and stay late into the night talking and praying.

Students spend time reading their Bibles. (Photo by Morgan Lewis)

Brandon hopes the gatherings continue to grow, grounded in scripture and led by students themselves. This semester, they are praying through the book of Psalms, using the words of scripture as the foundation for every prayer.

“My hope is that Friday nights keep going,” Brandon said. “That students keep leading. That our church members and college students come together. We’ve already seen God answer prayers. I think He’s just getting started.”

For more information about how your church can partner with BCM/D Collegiate Ministry, visit our website.

Morgan Lewis is a freelance writer and a Morgan State University senior pursuing a degree in Multiplatform Production.