Oral Roberts Returns To ORU For Dedication

By Dan Bewley, News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Oral Roberts returned to Tulsa Saturday to help dedicate a new prayer room at the base of the Prayer Tower.

Oral Roberts was greeted with a warm welcome back to the university he founded 45 years ago.

"It's wonderful to be home again," said Oral Roberts.

The Prayer Tower is one Mr. Roberts' most cherished buildings on campus.

"It was a place I went when things got out of hand or when things were too big for me, when I felt like throwing up my hands and quitting," said Roberts.

The prayer room is a place for students to reflect and deepen their connection with God. It includes several stations for prayer, as well as a chalkboard for spiritual messages and a place where students can write prayers and display them on a cross.

"They have something solid and something tangible that we're taking our requests before the Lord and laying them down at the cross," said Caitlin Reilly, ORU Chaplain.

Students say the prayer room should play a big role in their lives.

"It's good to have a common ground that students can come together," said Cody Inman, ORU senior.

University leaders say the prayer room is meant to emphasize one of the school's basic philosophies.

"There's so much need and we want the students to catch a fire and to be a part of prayer and realize that prayer is effective," said Clarence Boyd, Dean of Campus Ministry.

The Prayer Tower originally cost $2 million to build in 1967. Oral Roberts says he wanted to put it in the middle of campus so that no one could escape the power of prayer.

Mr. Roberts hopes the Prayer Tower means as much to the latest generation of students, as it does to him.

"It's a place of prayer. It's a place of education. It's a place of business. It's a place for doing God's mighty works. It's ORU," said Roberts.