{"id":138668,"date":"2022-04-08T16:33:05","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T14:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=138668"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:14","slug":"nsr-members-express-their-empathy-with-victims-of-ukraine-and-covid-19-during-non-stop-prayer-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/04\/08\/nsr-members-express-their-empathy-with-victims-of-ukraine-and-covid-19-during-non-stop-prayer-week\/","title":{"rendered":"NSR members express their empathy with victims of Ukraine and Covid-19 during non-stop prayer week"},"content":{"rendered":"

For one week, the prayer room at the Navigators Student Association Rotterdam (NSR) is packed with visitors. During the prayer week, students are not only praying for themselves and their nearest and dearest, but also for global crises, such as the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Julia, Mari\u00ebtte, Eveline and Suzanne. They prayed together tonight at the NSR clubhouse <\/span><\/p>

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It was raining cats and dogs on Wednesday evening. The door of the NSR student association at the Eendrachtsplein is half open. Inside, two students stand in the kitchen between crates of beer and bags of chips. \u201cWe\u2019re from the CSFR, we share the building with the NSR,\u201d one student answers when asked if they are planning to party after praying. So, they are not taking part in the prayer week. \u201cAnd yes, we will have a party later on from 10pm onwards.\u201d\u00a0 CSFR is the \u2018rival\u2019 Christian student association of the NSR.<\/p>\n

Get in touch with God<\/h2>
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NSR's prayer room <\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

The NSR prayer room is located in the basement of the building. In the hallway leading to the room is a bookcase with How should you pray? A practical book for ordinary people<\/em> on the top shelf.\u00a0 In this room there is a couch, a couple of chairs and a small table, with a desk in the corner full of arts and crafts, such as cards with the texts \u2018Grace will lift you up\u2019 and \u2018With the Lord at my side, I have nothing to fear\u2019. \u00a0A board with prayer points hangs on the terracotta wall, along with photos of world leaders such as Macron, Rutte and Putin.<\/p>\n

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A board with prayers and photo's of world leaders<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAli Alshamayleh<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Six students are sitting in the small 9m2<\/sup>-sized room. They have just finished their prayers. \u201cDuring the prayer week, students can reserve this room for one or two hours to pray together, read the Bible or talk about faith,\u201d says board member Eveline van Seters. \u201cWe organise a prayer week in the hope that more people will get in touch with God. We invite everyone to come. Our association is, of course, for Christian students, but it is cool if we can also have conversations with non-believers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Praying for the world<\/h2>

What a prayer session looks like in practice varies each time, but this time students have approached it in a very structured way. \u201cWe started with ten minutes for ourselves, to clear our minds or read the Bible,\u201d says student Mari\u00ebtte. Then they prayed together guided by various themes, from large to small. \u201cFirst we started with the world, then the Netherlands, Rotterdam, NSR and finally ourselves and the people around us. We take turns in praying. If you have something to say, then you say a prayer in front of the group.\u201d The structure of the prayers helps student Anne-Lot. \u201cYou have so much to pray for and you are also here with a group, so that keeps it all nice and clear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018I pray for all the people who have been hit hard by covid-19 and by the war in Ukraine. Also, for third world countries where poverty and hunger are dramatically on the rise\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStudent Dani\u00ebl\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

What are they praying for most this time? \u201cFor all the people who have been hit hard by covid-19 and by the war in Ukraine. Also, for third world countries where poverty and hunger are dramatically on the rise,\u201d says student Daniel. The misery in the world touches him deeply. \u201cIt is difficult to explain why that is. It\u2019s all so far away from my own life, but I really do feel for them. I believe we have a God who touches our hearts, so our hearts are broken by what His heart is broken by.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Inspiring<\/h2>

What word would they use to describe their shared prayers? \u201cInspiring,\u201d Mariette replies. \u201cI have noticed in myself that when I am praying with a group, I am very inspired by the things that other people say and touch upon. Sometimes they are things I hadn\u2019t thought about before.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a knock at the door, the next group is waiting in the hallway. The students pack up their things and leave the room. The next session starts with giving thanks and praying for those around them. In the background, you can hear the music and the muffled din of the floor above. The corridor reeks of beer. It is past 10 pm, the CSFR party has already kicked off.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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