Praying for Dom

by Brandie Daniels-Anderson 

It was finally that moment. As I stood in the front of the ballroom, ready to pray with any student who might come forward, the anticipation felt like a thousand years.

Who would answer the call to follow Jesus? Who would make the best decision of their life? 

As the invitation was given, my eyes began to well with tears. 

I saw Dom’s and Olivia’s faces first, glowing from the lights as they sprinted forward and jumped into my arms. It was a miracle I was able to remain standing! One student after another kept coming until there were seven of us, arms locked together in a circle, offering prayers of surrender to Jesus while tears splashed on our shoes.

I will never forget this moment. Even the students in their seats were rejoicing with cheers and tears as we witnessed the fruit of our shared prayers. Together, we were seeing the power of Christ at work, not only in this moment, but in the year of moments it represented—because this story began exactly a year earlier. 

On Saturday night of Jubilee 2024, in the 13th hour of “good” exhaustion, I was helping facilitate a student-led prayer time and found myself in a small group with three Kenyon football players—Matthew, Emmaus, and Jstew. As we were praying, Matthew shared that he had recommitted his life to Christ. He was all in for God. We were captivated by his excitement; it was contagious! 

When we returned to campus, our love for Christ could no longer be contained! Worship nights, Bible studies, and prayer broke out everywhere. Matthew shared the Gospel with anyone who would listen—including Dom, another football player and one of his best friends. 

So we started praying for Dom.

We prayed all through the spring semester for him. Summer passed, and we were still praying. In the last week of November, Dom showed up for the very first time! He came to Bible study, worship nights, and even started attending church. His eyes were being opened and he was so curious about “this Jesus guy.” 

Then, at the end of Bible study in December, I sensed discouragement among some of the new and not-yet believers in the group. I felt nudged by the Holy Spirit to share, so I said something like this:

“If you still feel lost, disconnected or stuck in your sin and struggles, keep pursuing God. Even if you aren’t experiencing what others are talking about, you aren’t doing it wrong. You are doing enough. You are enough. Just be persistent in the little things, keep praying, keep reading and stay on the path.” 

I offered to meet with anybody who wanted to talk more or wanted me to pray for them. 

After Bible study, Dom approached me. He said that I was talking about him when I shared, and I asked if we could meet before winter break. We were able to squeeze in lunch between two of his finals, and I was captivated by his courage, vulnerability, and hunger to know God. To know the Truth. 

He told me the story of the past year. Last spring, after the previous Jubilee, the changes he saw in Matthew and others had made him curious about this whole faith thing. So he went to church and started reading through passages over the summer. He prayed. 

But when he came back to campus in the fall, he wasn’t feeling what everyone was talking about. He didn’t even feel God. So, he stopped going, reading, and praying. 

Well, he tried to stop. 

He expressed how weird it was, because in the fall, he had been drawn back in, starting with the Bible study at the end of November. 

And I had the great honor and privilege to tell him that God had been in constant pursuit of him. Even when we try to push God away, the Holy Spirit still chases after us! I explained that when we talk about the supernatural work of God, this is what we mean. 

And two months after this conversation, God provided another illustration.

Our Kenyon crew was sitting together in the Jubilee ballroom when Russ Whitfield, the Saturday night speaker, introduced his key scripture for the evening: Acts 9. This announcement was electric for our group. Everyone looked at each other— What?!? Look at God go! Just three days before in Bible study, this was the exact scripture we had studied together. 

And Dom was there too. He knew—this was exactly what he and I had been talking about. 

We were witnessing the Holy Spirit at work! The speaker’s choice of Acts 9 was a great reminder that God is always moving and goes before us. The “coincidence” spoke for itself—this was done on purpose because God cares that much about you.

Soon afterwards, the moment that so many of us had been praying for happened. Students were invited to make the best decisions of their lives. The waiting was over. 

Dom sprinted up to the front to give his life to Jesus Christ. 

—Brandie Daniels-Anderson ministers to students at Kenyon College through a partnership with The McIlvaine Fund.