“Do You Need Prayer?”

After returning from a year and a half of overseas mission work, Bob Clayton of Clovis Adventist Church in California, United States, found himself praying for direction. Though he had moved back to the state to be closer to his son and family, he sensed that God still had a ministry for him—he just didn’t know what it was yet. So he began walking through the community, praying and listening for God’s leading.

One afternoon near Fresno State University Bob encountered a woman sitting at a table displaying a Christian sign. He shared an idea that had been quietly growing in his heart: setting up a simple table offering prayer to anyone who needed it. Her response was immediate—“That’s a great idea!”—and she directed him to the second floor of the Student Union, where he could request permission to begin. That early September conversation became the seed God used to launch a campus ministry.

Since then Bob has faithfully set up his prayer table every Tuesday and Thursday, spending four to five hours at a time at the heart of campus. What has grown from that single table is a quiet yet deeply meaningful ministry of spiritual care for students navigating stress, loneliness, and major life transitions.

A typical day varies, but the pace of ministry rarely slows. Some students walk directly toward the table, asking for prayer about exams, family problems, or overwhelming anxiety. Others glance from a distance until Bob offers a welcoming smile and gently waves: “We’re praying for people—can I pray for you?” Across a four-hour period he prays for an average of 10 to 20 students.

Memorable moments appear often. Just the day before I interviewed him, a young woman walked up nearly in tears. When Bob softly asked how he could pray, she replied, “I’m not doing very well,” her voice trembling. After prayer, her face softened, and she thanked him deeply—one of many reminders that God continues to reach students through these quiet acts of compassion.

Another student has become a frequent visitor. Despite a painful family situation—a father experiencing homelessness and a mother currently incarcerated—he consistently demonstrates hope and gratitude. He asks Bob for a Bible verse after each prayer, seeking encouragement for the day. “I have a heart for him,” Bob says. “He’s going through so much, but he still wants to grow closer to God.”

Surprisingly, many students have also offered to pray for Bob. Since September eight to 10 students have approached the table—not for prayer, but to pray for him, the minister who prays for others. Five of these students now participate in a group text through which Bob invites them to join him at the table whenever they are free. Though they do not know each other, they form a small prayer team—young adults learning firsthand the joy of intercessory prayer.

This ministry has even extended beyond campus. During Thanksgiving week, when classes were not in session, Bob sent a message to the prayer group, inviting anyone who wished to join him at a nearby retail mall to pray for people as they walked by. One student responded, and together they spent two and a half hours offering prayer to anyone willing to receive it. “It was a blessing,” Bob shared. “A beautiful surprise.”

When asked about the future, Bob does not claim to have a grand strategic plan. “A retired pastor once told me that God put him in ministry to save him,” Bob reflected. “In many ways I feel the same. After much prayer, this is where God led me—and I just want to keep showing up.”

He hopes more people—especially young adults—will join him. He’s already had help from a local physician, several pastors, and a young woman with previous campus ministry experience in Canada. His desire is simple: that more people would discover the blessing of praying for others.

Each prayer table shift requires a US$10 reservation fee through Fresno State’s system, which Bob covered himself until a member of Clovis Adventist Church recently stepped in to support the ministry financially. “It’s not a large cost,” Bob says, “but it means a lot to know that someone believes in what God is doing.”

As hundreds of students make their way across campus each week—many carrying invisible burdens—one small table with a handwritten sign continues to offer a simple question:

“Do you need prayer?”

The original version of this story was posted by the Central California Conference.