They came from all over the country to pray for healing from the “pain, discord, violence, and fear” plaguing the nation.
And they came to fight against evil declaring, “This is His war, this is His battle … and worship is our weapon.”
But mostly they came to praise the Lord and show the world that “God’s moving in America.”
More than 35,000 worshippers flocked to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 25th to participate in the forty-fifth Let Us Worship event so far just this year!
Worship leader Sean Feucht’s movement began in California in May as a protest to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 restrictions that closed down churches and limited worship services throughout the state.
It quickly gained momentum and spread across the country, attracting large crowds in cities suffering from the pandemic, violence, political unrest, and division during a heated presidential election.
Feucht’s message at every stop has been simple: God still reigns.
“We’ve been in a season of pain, discord, violence, and fear, but Jesus is reminding us that He died on the cross so we can live fully … even in the middle of a pandemic,” he told the crowd in DC.
The prayer event started in front of the Supreme Court, where judge Amy Coney Barrett was in the process of being confirmed. Feucht said it was the largest prayer gathering in front of the Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade.
Sen. Josh Hawley joined the gathering outside the Supreme Court after casting his vote for Barrett’s nomination and prayed for God to bless the high court and confirmation process.
“America needs that love,” Hawley said. “They need to feel the love of Jesus Christ. They need that hope and joy that we have.”
Hawley, a Republican, said Coney Barrett, who was confirmed later that night, was “not ashamed to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
“She’s not ashamed to say that every life has dignity, that every life is worth saving. She’s not afraid to say that abortion is wrong and that every child in America has the right to life.”
Worshippers traveled from all over the country for the event that included praying in front of the Lincoln Memorial before moving to the National Mall.
Gail Hawkins, pastor of New Life City church in Albuquerque, N.M., told The Christian Post she’d been watching the Let Us Worship movement and was compelled to travel to DC.
She and her husband, Alan, traveled from New Mexico because “we’re all of one accord and we’re all praying and seeking passionately the hand of God in this nation.”
“Something struck a chord in me that I needed to be here, so we just followed the lead of God and we came.”
“We just know that God’s at work.”
Rhoda Mehl from Rosemount, Minn. said she was disturbed at churches being closed and Christian voices being silenced during the pandemic.
“The Church is confused about whose authority they need to respect and respond to.”
“We need to fear the Lord first, and then honor the king,” Mehl said.
Mehl reiterated the refrain that the nation is fighting a battle of good vs. evil with violence, civil unrest, and political protests dividing the nation and disrupting many cities.
“We get to come and sing outside and praise the Lord from the bottom of our hearts,” she said. “That is what our nation was founded on — liberty, on freedom.”
“… Our worship is our weapon. We’re here standing ‘peacefully protesting’ by praising God, believing that this is His war, that this is His battle.”
“And He will win.”
Joe Centener of Staunton, Va. previously attended The Return prayer event in Washington in September and came back a month later because he believes God is stirring a revival.
“God’s going to do a cleansing and exposing because we’re praying, ‘God, expose all of the evil. Make it crystal clear for every unbeliever so they can see the truth,’” he said.
“And with that, they can make a decision clearly and see evil and good.”
Linda Enciso, a hairstylist from San Bernadino, Calif., traveled to Washington, DC because government restrictions have closed many businesses and churches in her home state.
But she told The Christian Post that the Holy Spirit is causing the church to rise up.
“God is gathering His children, and this is the time for us to stand up. No more playing around.”
Isis Michael traveled with Enciso to pray for her family, her state, her home country of Egypt, and her adopted home in the United States. She says she’s seeing the “heavens open.”
“We were born for a time like this,” Michael said.
Let Us Worship has come under attack in cities like Seattle, Minneapolis and Chicago where local officials tried to shut down the worship services, but Feucht urged the crowd in Washington, DC not to back down.
“We’re not going to stop praising,” he said.
He said Jesus is raising up “a worship movement that is full of courage and not ashamed.”
“Jesus is here to recharge your life.”
Feucht told followers and supporters they will overcome the pandemic and civil unrest because “God’s moving in America.”
“We’re going to leave this field as the happiest group of Christians because of His glory. Wake up church, come alive and arise. The glory of the Lord arises on you.”
The event ended with Feucht and the crowd singing “Our God Reigns.” Afterwards, he tweeted:
“We lit up the sky tonight in DC for King of Kings and the Lord of all Lords! I’m forever changed. I hope you are too.”