DALLAS, TX – Christians around the world united for an unprecedented 25 hours of prayer, praise, and repentance this weekend. The event is called Gather25, and organizers are already making plans to do it again in two years.
As the global church gathered from all seven continents, snapshots from the event show believers burning a fire of worship in Dallas and fanning the spirit flame to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Kigali, Rwanda; Cluj, Romania; and beyond. It all started as a vision from Bible teacher Jennie Allen.
The project has been in the works for two years, and it all began with one simple yes.
Allen sat down with CBN News at the start of the event in Dallas on Friday afternoon.
"I had a vivid dream that Jesus was coming back the night that my friend had prayed for me to hear from God. When I dreamed that, I woke up and I thought, you know if He did come back in our lifetime, or if He came back in the next 10 years, is what I dream, then, what would He do? And it wasn't good news in the dream," she told CBN News.
Before she knew it, she had been given a mission.
"I woke up at 5 a.m., and I thought to myself. I don't think I thought to myself, the Lord brought it to my mind to host the global church. I had no idea what it would cost in the last two years. The technology when I dreamed that wasn't even available to do it. It exists today," she continued.
She says, "I was willing. And I began to share with people, everyone was saying yes with me."
The technology included eight rooms of equipment to stream Live worship experiences from seven continents, and artificial intelligence to translate those experiences into more than 80 languages as they were happening.
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Bible teachers Priscilla Shirer and John Mark Comer joined Allen for the event. Both shared their thoughts about the gathering with CBN News.
"This whole Gather25 is really a love letter to the church, to remind the entire global church that our savior is still standing at the door and He wants not only more from you, in terms of surrender, but He wants more for you in terms of abundant life," Shirer said.
"The world is a very big place. And the followers of Jesus around the world are experiencing very different things. But there is a lot tumult in the world, a lot of reshuffling," Comer said.
"The world is reeling in all that chaos, and deeply in need of peace, and the stability that ultimately only comes from when you are re-rooted in God. And the church cannot offer an alternative to the chaos of the world when we are divided and chaotic ourselves," he continued.
Watching this event unfold, Jennie Allen told CBN News it was nothing short of a miracle.
"It really has been only God. There is no other story here," she says. "I feel like I am in the center of a hurricane of God's glory."
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