All-night prayer at Harvard Friday, April 5, 2002

By Leora DeWitt

Almost a year ago, God impressed Edson that his spiritual mission was to bring about reform and transformation through prayer that would eventually pervade each campus in Massachusetts.  He began the initiative by encouraging all who would join him in fasting and prayer as a preparation for the Joshua Project-- seven days of  "surrounding the city"--praying while driving once around Harvard for six days and walking and praying on the campus.  Then, on the seventh day, like Joshua of old, they encompassed Harvard University seven times, and the final time declared victory for God by faith. Also, the final day, some of those participating flew over Harvard University and other important areas sprinkling anointing oil from the helicopter.)

I arrived at Room E about 11 p.m. where I found about 50 people gathered.  Edson's wife, Eneida, was just arriving and Jeff Marks and Brenda Birman (folks familiar to me) were there, along with several friends of Edson's from Worcester who came to join the Harvard students as prayer support. A couple of people were playing guitars accompanying the singing of praise songs. There was spontaneous prayer and some Bible reading.  Students were scattered around the perimeter of the raised lecture room; some standing and some seated on the carpet. 

Everyone was scattered around the room and it seemed time for more focused prayer so Edson called us to the front.  This was to be the place of the altar and we gathered around and prayed for Harvard, especially praying for the lone student from the divinity school who was viewed as a representative of the whole theology department.  It seemed most fitting that this department was especially a focus of our initial intercession, for it is from the root of the spiritual life from which the other departments takes their cue. 

One of the women began to cry and prayed passionately as she knelt.  Speaking in Portuguese, she kept shouting a word what sounded like "chaos" and made cutting motions with her arms.  She was praying against the confusion and chaos, interceding for those caught up in it and praying for deliverance from its clutches.

After she prayed, Jeff Marks gave his interpretation of her powerful prayer.  He said there was a long-standing occult connection between Harvard and nearby Salem.  He felt that this woman's prayer addressed the threat of witchcraft and the occult to the spiritual health of the University.  (I pray that it may be true that the strongholds are being battered to the point that they crumble soon and that the forces of darkness be completely routed!)

Jeff, Brenda, Edson and some students left about midnight for a prayer walk at MIT.  As he was leaving, Edson suggested that we have testimony time.  Everyone held back at first, so I got up and shared my commitment made in a vesper service many years ago at the Christian school I attended.  The speaker at that service when I was a teenager made an appeal at the end of his talk, calling on the students to stand in commitment if we would promise to testify for Jesus at every opportunity.  This decision has strengthened me and blest me all through the years, and spurred me on even when I felt hesitant.  I extended that same appeal to everyone in the room to make such a commitment right then. 

Kathleen followed and gave a positive response, committing herself to speak for Jesus at every opportunity.  She proceeded to share her heartrending journey through neglect, abuse, depression, darkness, because of  dysfunctional and basically non-nurturing conditions in her early life.  As she was finishing I felt impressed to share Isaiah 50:4, 5, 7, 8 on her behalf and to pray with her at the front before she sat down.

Wonderful testimonies followed, that blest all of us--tellers and listeners alike.  We heard several powerful stories of healings and conversions by the power of God.  During the darkest hours of the night, Room E of the Science Building at Harvard University was the lightest place possible, as each one shared how God had worked--and is working--in their lives.

After these special testimonies and prayer times, we formed a circle to pray thanksgiving and blessing for the many who were supporting Harvard by their prayers from afar. There are at least 62 countries praying!  The influence of Harvard encircles the globe, and those who pray on its behalf are located in countries around the globe!  Thank You, Lord!

By this time it was almost 7:00 am and several of us had left.  However, a new young woman joined us who is a Harvard student, so some one was there from Harvard all night long. 

When I walked out into the fresh new morning I felt bleary-eyed but sustained from within by an incredible peace and joy in my soul.  I munched on the doughnut that was so generously provided and enjoyed its sweetness to refresh my body.  It seemed a most fitting end to this prayer session to look up at one of the older buildings that I walked past and see this inscription expressing the desire of the early pioneers of Harvard University:

THOU SHALT TEACH THEM ORDINANCES AND LAWS AND SHALT SHEW THE WAY WHEREIN THEY MUST WALK AND THE WORK THEY MUST DO.

The desire expressed in this inscription will remain as long as the stone remains in which it is engraved in foot-high letters over the length of the building.  This Scripture, taken from Exodus 18:20, is an indication of the godly heritage of Harvard University.  It is a permanent reminder in stone that prayer was registered in heaven at the founding of this school.  The prayers now ascending on behalf of all those who walk the Harvard University campus are an extension of those prayers of the pioneers.  This connection of our current prayers to those ardent prayers of the past seems to be an assurance that God will fulfill His purposes in the founding of this eminent educational institution. 

Recounting this night of intercession is, for me, a precious and sacred experience that seems like an extended prayer!  May all who read this join in the ongoing prayer that Harvard would return to its godly roots and resume its place of spiritual leadership among colleges, universities and institutions around the world--that they  would, in turn, be touched by heaven and be a great blessing to others.