Bible Rebel

An Estimated 80,000 Christians Gather in Texas Stadium for Prayer

While much of America’s attention is focused on politics, wars and cultural controversies, here’s what happened Saturday night in Arlington:

An estimated 80,000 Christians gathered at AT&T Stadium for an evening devoted primarily to prayer.

The event, called ACCESS — That Powerful Hour of Prayer, was organized by 2819 Church and Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell.

According to organizers and participants, free tickets were reserved within eight hours. Unlike many large Christian gatherings, the event wasn’t built around celebrity speakers or a traditional concert.

Istead it emphasized collective prayer, worship and spiritual renewal.

The reported attendance is an estimate rather than an independently verified count. Nevertheless, the event’s scale is notable. Last year’s ACCESS gathering reportedly attracted more than 30,000 participants in Atlanta. Christian Post

Wait. Aren’t we constantly hearing that Christianity is dying in America?

Church attendance has declined in many denominations and religious affiliation has weakened, while millions of Americans identify as having no religion.

Yet tens of thousands of people gathered in a football stadium specifically to pray.

So What’s Going On?

Maybe Americans aren’t necessarily losing interest in God, but rather some are losing interest in traditional religious institutions.

While that’s not a conclusion we can draw from one stadium gathering it is a question worth investigating.

Jesus said:

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” — Matthew 18:20 (KJV)

Notice our Lord didn’t say two or three thousand, and He didn’t require a stadium.

Large gatherings like this suggest that substantial enthusiasm for collective Christian worship remains, even as traditional measures of religious participation show long-term weakness.