Thousands of Liberty Students Attend Prayer March in Washington D.C.

Over 2,000 Liberty University students loaded up into 44 buses Saturday morning to attend the 2020 Prayer March led by Franklin Graham in Washington, D.C.

Liberty students joined tens of thousands of people from around the country Saturday at 12 p.m. to worship and begin the prayer march, which started at the Lincoln Memorial and ended at the Capitol building. 

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence made a surprise appearance at the beginning of the march, sharing with the crowd his heart for prayer and the nation. Many in the crowd cheered Pence on with the shouting of “four more years” as he addressed the thousands packed alongside the reflection pool. Worship leader Michael W. Smith also led the crowd in worship songs before Graham started the march in prayer, asking for repentance and focus on God. 

Along the route, there were seven stops where attendees could stop and pray with a group or individually for the nation. Some of the topics ranged from praying for leaders in the White House to religious freedom in the United States. Liberty’s Acting President Jerry Prevo was invited by Graham to lead a large group of individuals in prayer next to the Washington Monument before attendees continued to march along to the next stop outside the National Museum of African American Culture. 

“Our founder used to say, ‘nothing of eternal significance happens apart from prayer,’” Prevo said. “Today, Liberty students, faculty and staff with others from around the nation joined together for the Washington Prayer March 2020 — asking God to heal our land.”

Participants out of reach of the sounds system could listen in to the religious leaders praying at each stop by dialing a toll-free number.

Every Liberty student was outfitted with a special T-shirt and rain jacket, marked with the Liberty University logo. Throughout the march, several scattered groups of LU students prayed together and with fellow march attendees.

“It was really inspiring to see the body of Christ just come together,” Allison Clark, senior, said. “It didn’t matter what political party, or what our background was, everybody was just there for the purpose of prayer and it was beautiful to see that unity.”

Before any student could get on a bus to go to D.C., they had to verify their completion of a wellness check, ensuring that they were not at risk of spreading COVID-19. The Office of Spiritual Life and Development (OSD) provided meals throughout the day to the students attending along with bringing their own security and chaperones. 

According to junior Daniela Garcia, “this Saturday showed me how much this nation needs God, and seeing all the families praying, I saw through them a nation desperate for a touch of heaven.” Garcia and Clark both said many participants of the march frequently approached the Liberty clusters, thanking the students for coming. 

Near the end of the march, Graham stood outside the Capitol Building to give an address to all in attendance. Graham, alongside his sister Anne Graham Lotz and Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, prayed for the nation’s leaders who work in the House and Senate. All hands were raised toward the Capitol Building as they closed in praying individually for the people who work there.

Prevo and his wife Carol Prevo walked alongside students throughout the march, gathering at the end in front of the U.S. Capitol Building to take a group photo with all the students before loading up the buses for Lynchburg.

Hattie Troutman is the Editor-in-Chief. Follow her on Twitter at @hattrout.