For Precious Kabamba, 12 o'clock is not just a time; it is a promise. Every day at noon, Precious enters ORU's Prayer Tower to pray. Every day at midnight, she prays again. To her, those two commitments have become sacred. She calls them "Jesus Time."

"I realized I was very inconsistent with my morning and afternoon time with God, and it was bothering me," said Precious. "I asked the Lord, 'Which time do You want me to pray?' And He gave me 12. So, 12 in the afternoon and 12 at midnight became Jesus Time."

The Prayer Tower: A Place to Hear God

For Precious, ORU's Prayer Tower is more than a landmark on campus. It is a home for her Jesus Time - a space where generations of students have prayed, worshiped, surrendered, and encountered God. The Prayer Tower holds special meaning for Precious because it was one of the first places where God spoke to her.

"The first time I entered the Prayer Tower, I heard God speak to me," Precious said. "I remember thinking, 'This is powerful. I need to come here all the time.' In the Prayer Tower, generations have prayed before me, and because of this, I feel like I can easily connect with the Holy Spirit."

"Jesus Time" First, Everything Else Follows

Because of her college schedule, Precious' time is very "precious." As a computer science major, she was struggling with her workload and asked God how she could give Him her time while balancing everything else. She felt His answer was simple: prayer and worship is sacrifice.

"In my economics class, we're learning about opportunity cost," said Precious. "You choose one thing, and you lose the other. When it comes to prayer and worship, it's supposed to be about God alone. Jesus Time is a sacrifice of your personal time."

Despite her classes and commitments, prayer is not something Precious fits into the edges of her life. It is the glue that holds everything else together.

"When I have other responsibilities, I still go to the Prayer Tower," said Precious. "If I know I'm supposed to be praying at 12, I can't compromise because that time belongs to Jesus. He helps me complete my tasks."

Prayer has become part of her daily rhythm at ORU, which includes Prayer Movement, ORU's student-led prayer and worship initiative. Through praying with this community, Precious says she began to see areas in her heart that needed to change.

"I was struggling with relating to people," said Precious. "I was easily offended and mixing discernment with judgment. Through Prayer Movement, I've learned to start loving people and to think, 'There is something good in everyone because Jesus loves them.'"

Precious and her prayer set team from ORU's Prayer Movement.

More Than a Routine

For Precious, refusing to be casual about her life means refusing to be casual about prayer. It has become the place where God forms her character, challenges her heart, and shapes her academic calling as she pursues a degree in computer science.

"When I think about prayer," Precious said. "I think about my calling, myself, my family, and my country. I want to be obedient so I can inspire other young girls from Zambia who want to do what I'm doing but don't have the opportunities."

This obedience means God is first, prayer is worth the sacrifice, and coming to ORU was not by accident. And every day, when the clock reaches 12, Precious remembers why she is here.

"I cannot compromise," said Precious. "That time belongs to Jesus."

Nationally Ranked, Globally Recognized

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with 17 years of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor's level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. In 2024, the Carnegie Foundation recognized ORU with a "Leadership for Public Purpose" award, a distinction earned by only 25 universities nationwide. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 176 nations in the last 7 years to be whole leaders for the whole world.