Teach Us to Pray with Olivia Williamson
Episode Summary
In this episode of the KC Underground podcast, Brian interviews Olivia Williamson, director of Claim Your Campus, about what it looks like when young people learn to pray for the places where God has already planted them. Olivia shares how prayer became part of the fabric of her own life, the story of students gathering to pray for change in their schools, and the vision of seeing student-led prayer in every middle and high school across the country. From simple prayer gatherings to students praying by name for friends who do not know Jesus, Olivia reflects on how prayer shapes young people to become more attentive to God and the people around them.
Key Themes & Takeaways
1. Learning Prayer Through a Life of Prayer
Olivia grew up in a home where prayer was woven naturally into everyday life—from meals and bedtime to major family transitions and the first day of school.
Her parents didn't simply tell her to pray; they regularly invited her into prayer with them.
As a teenager, Olivia began asking deeper questions about prayer after encountering people whose lives demonstrated an unusual commitment to meeting with God.
Reading The Burning Heart Contract by Becky Tirabassi challenged her to understand why someone would intentionally spend extended time with God every day.
What began as something modeled by her family gradually became a personal pursuit and passion.
2. Prayer Helped Olivia Discover Mission Right Where She Was
As a teenager, Olivia dreamed about what she might accomplish in the future, but God began redirecting her attention toward the people already around her.
Rather than focusing on becoming significant somewhere else, she sensed an invitation to look at where her feet were planted and faithfully reach that place.
Olivia joined a prayer gathering at her high school where a small group of students regularly prayed together.
That prayer gathering eventually helped catalyze a worship night attended by hundreds of students, where young people responded to Jesus and sensed calls to ministry.
During a lonely season when following Jesus cost Olivia friendships, prayer also became a place of refuge and deep personal encounter with Christ.
3. A Vision for Prayer in Every School
Claim Your Campus began after a small group of students started praying for an end to fighting and violence at their school—and saw a dramatic change.
The testimony spread, inspiring students in other schools to begin praying as well.
The vision eventually grew toward seeing student-led prayer in every middle and high school in America.
Rather than trying to get adults into schools, Claim Your Campus equips students to recognize themselves as missionaries in the places God has already planted them.
Their strategy is intentionally simple: get a prayer guide, invite two friends, and show up weekly.
Claim Your Campus isn't focused on putting its name in every school; the goal is simply to see prayer happening in every school, including through partnerships with existing Christian clubs and ministries.
4. Giving Students a Simple Framework for Prayer
Claim Your Campus uses three simple movements to help students pray together: Thank, Listen, and Ask.
Students begin by thanking God for answered prayer and the things they're grateful for.
They listen by reading Scripture aloud and creating space to hear what God may be saying through His Word.
They then intercede for specific needs in their school, including teachers, safety, relationships, gospel opportunities, and other concerns.
Each gathering also includes praying by name for someone who doesn't yet know Jesus.
This simple practice helps prayer move beyond general requests and toward specific people and opportunities for mission.
5. Prayer Changes the People Who Pray
Olivia shares the story of Zeke, a high school senior who sensed God inviting him and his prayer group to pray for 30 students to come to know Jesus before graduation.
As the students prayed by name, they became increasingly attentive to opportunities to share their faith.
By graduation, Zeke knew of 23 students who had come to faith during those months.
Another student, Daniel, began praying for lonely and isolated classmates and eventually started intentionally sitting with students who were alone at lunch.
His prayers changed the way he saw his classmates and led him into relationships where he could embody the love of Jesus.
Prayer doesn't only change circumstances—it changes our hearts toward the people and places we're praying for.
6. Helping the Next Generation Encounter Jesus
Olivia encourages parents to keep praying for their children while also intentionally exposing them to people and environments where they can witness genuine love for Jesus.
Some of the most formative experiences of her childhood came simply from being in rooms with people who prayed, worshiped, and passionately followed Jesus.
Rather than forcing spiritual experiences, parents can create opportunities for their children to observe and participate in authentic communities of faith.
Listening, showing up, believing in young people, and surrounding them with faithful followers of Jesus can help create space for their own relationship with God to grow.
Final Thoughts
Prayer can help young people discover that mission doesn't begin somewhere far away—it begins where God has already placed them. As students pray for their schools and classmates by name, God shapes their hearts, opens their eyes to opportunities, and gives them courage to live out the prayers they're praying. The invitation for the next generation is simple: pray where your feet are planted and pay attention to where Jesus leads.
