Prayer Diary

Three friends walking outdoors on a grassy area in front of lush green trees. Two women and one man are dressed in rain jackets and waterproof boots, smiling and enjoying the day.

    • Pray for CU students to be boldly inviting friends to read The Way of Jesus together this term. Pray that students who do explore who Jesus is might come to know Him themselves through this!

    • Pray for the many first-year students who are still settling into university life. Pray especially for those who are struggling with the change, that they would know God's love and comfort, and seek community.

    • Pray for our board as they gather to discuss strategy for the year ahead, and for wisdom as they continue to govern CUI.

    • This week is our CUI supporter week. Pray for the CUI staff team who are travelling around the island to meet with supporters, hearing and sharing stories of God's goodness and work.

    • Pray for Magee CU's creative café event taking place next week. Ask that many on campus would engage with the art being shown and made, and that they would be struck by the beauty of the gospel as they hear it.

    • CU student, Jess* (name changed) gave a copy of The Way of Jesus to a friend, and they have since met up for their first study session. Her friend said she started reading and couldn't stop. Pray for Jess and her friend as they continue to explore The Way of Jesus together!

    • Pray for the Queen's CU Weekend Away. Pray that it would be a fruitful time as they grow together, and that they would be equipped to keep going out and sharing Jesus on campus.

    • Pray for the many Christian academics who work on our university campuses. Praise God that they are lights and witnesses on campus, and pray that they would continue to witness to students in their lectures.

    • Pray for the Formation Team, who are now in the 12th week of their internship, as they meet with students for Bible studies and engage in campus mission. Pray that they would grow as they study God's Word each week.

    • Pray for the Southern Team as we meet in Galway on 16th November to be in the Word and in prayer together, and to be better equipped and prepared to continue serving students.

    • Pray for the Leinster Weekend Away taking place at Castledaly Manor. Pray that students will immerse themselves in Jesus, be united with each other, and be energised to share the good news of Jesus on their campuses during the Christmas period and their upcoming mission weeks.

    • Pray for students who are on their placement year. Pray that as they enter the workplace and face various challenges, they stand firm in their faith and have opportunities to witness to those around them.

    • Pray for UCC as they have their carol service on 25th November. Pray that there will be courage among CU members to invite their friends, and that any new faces will be able to understand and respond to the Saviour's coming to the world with faith.

    • Pray for peace for students in the midst of a busy exam and assignment season. Pray that they would remember that their value is not in their grades but is firmly fixed in the Lord, and that they would use their gifts to glorify Him through their work.

    • Pray for ATU Letterkenny CU as they hold a tea and coffee stand on campus. Ask that they have warm conversations with many of their fellow students, and that they have good opportunities to invite people to their upcoming carol service.

    • Pray for our online office team training on 3rd December. Pray that this would be a fruitful time of encouragement and training.

    • Pray for the IFES World Assembly Speakers Retreat (1st–4th December), where those leading the Bible teaching next June will gather at DCU to pray, study, and begin planning. Pray for safe travel and a blessed time of fellowship.

    • Pray for final year students considering Formation next year. Applications open in early January. Pray that as students talk with staff workers, God would give them wisdom as they look ahead to their next step.

Group of four women sitting at a table engaging in conversation in a classroom or meeting room with a whiteboard in the background.

Praying For The Nations

To prepare our hearts to host World Assembly, join us in praying for IFES movements across the world.

We’ll focus on a particular IFES region each month, so check back for updates!

  • Who We Are

    FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Christian Unions. We connect Christian Unions (student groups) in universities and colleges across Kenya. Our network has grown quickly over the past 10 years. We now work with 65,000 Christian students in 240 Christian Unions. God has blessed us with a dedicated team of 125 full-time staff and a supportive graduate fellowship. Right now, 50 graduates have also volunteered to serve as extra staff in our movement.

    For the past 34 years, our movement has run a Short-Term Experience in Ministry (STEM) Program for young graduates. In August, 65 graduates completed the one-year program. We are always encouraged by what God does in the lives of these staff and the students they serve

  • Stephen’s Salvation Journey

    I grew up going to church activities, but I didn't know the gospel. I was drawn to a Nigerian preacher based in Kenya who spoke about his "depth" in teaching Scripture, the errors of other preachers' doctrines, and the supernatural experiences. Listening to him made me revere him. I grew a desire for extraordinary experiences and hatred for other believers who were not part of the church. I also got hooked on a famous Ugandan prosperity preacher. According to him, the Bible is a prosperity manual, and God is a deity who is there to meet all my wishes. I had a high view of myself and thought I could allow or disallow God's work on earth. I also grew in greed for material things while I still made many declarations against reality.

    Some believers began questioning my persuasions while on campus, which unfortunately caused me to strongly dislike them. When our outgoing STEM staff, Wilson, came to serve as STEM, he hosted me in his STEM house for a week. We still engaged in theological debates. His patience was very outstanding for me. He spent most of the time listening to my doctrinal persuasions in the first days. Later he began confronting them in the light of Scripture. What impacted my relationship with the STEM staff was how he interpreted Scripture when we did Bible studies together. I was very shocked by his views, especially on suffering. He was so positive about suffering in light of God's glory. He was content, passionate, and intentional about simple obedience to Scripture and about how it affected his life.

    I wrestled with this for a long time without yielding; during ours, too high to admit that I was in error. When I handed over leadership, I simply could not pretend any longer. I was frustrated over the declarations I made that seemed not to come to pass. I felt as if God had lied to me and been untruthful about my expectations during leadership. I had longed to experience the extraordinary at the CU and on campus, for which I spent sleepless nights in prayer and countless days fasting.

    I thank God for Wilson. I would often go to his house with loads of questions, and he would open his Bible and engage me, cautioning me against excesses. He readily acknowledged when he didn't have adequate knowledge, rather than glorifying himself. He was instrumental in inspiring me to grow in the knowledge of God without depending on other people's interpretations, even when my Bible was closed.

    I stopped chasing extraordinary experiences and now regard the Scripture highly as God's means of speaking to me. I now acknowledge that God is sovereign and faithful to use our suffering for His purposes. My eyes are set on eternity with Christ and on praying for others. I have also learnt that God's reward is not only the material things proposed by the prosperity gospel, but also heavenly treasures purchased on the cross. I have also grown in my desire to diligently study God's Word and reach the unreached and lost with the gospel.

    Stephen, Former CU Chair.

  • Prayer Requests

    • Back in September, we ran a campaign called Every Fresher for Jesus. A 30-day effort to share the gospel with all first-year students across the 240 campuses we serve. Pray that many students will come to know Jesus personally through this, and that our students will stay bold as they continue to share their faith.

    • We are preparing for our Triennial Discipleship and Scripture Engagement Conference, the Ezra Conference, to be held in December 2026. Please pray for our staff as they prepare, for our speakers as they share God’s Word, and for the resources we need to host the conference. We hope to welcome 4,000 student delegates. Pray that the conference will be a success.

    • Pray for our staff members. They are a passionate team, but they carry heavy ministry responsibilities. Pray that God guides them as they equip students for ministry among fellow students and mobilise graduates to get involved in ministry.