Someone heard every word that was uttered, indeed every thought that passed through the minds of the thousands who attended Sunday's Global Day of Prayer event in Hartford. It was not the press, or the great body of Connecticut's citizenry. But this means nothing. The people praying had the full attention of the One who matters most.
Still, I was amused to see Channel 3 refer to the crowd at the Connecticut Convention Center as comprised of "hundreds of Christians." Their brief, weirdly-angled shots could not disguise the fact that the worshippers were far more numerous.
Indeed, even the Hartford Courant, not known to be an ardent supporter of evangelical religion, confessed to a crowd of 4,300. Yet, unless they are planning a spot later in the week, they, too, are relegating this story to the nether regions of the Web. I give credit where it is due, as they did post a lovely photo - but it was alongside a story about the success of the new Convention Center! (To be completely fair, an earlier story was both positive and informative.)
There's a sign of growing maturity in the fact that most Christians of evangelical stripe no longer care as much whether the Courant or Channel 8 gives them good press. Those who gathered in Hartford yesterday were there to pray and seek the favor of God, not the favor of Web or TV pundits.
If the Connecticut press can't be moved at the sight of thousands coming to our troubled capital on a Sunday night with no agenda but prayer, so be it. We draw our strength from knowing Him who is moved by the devotion of lovers of His cause. We know that there are great stirrings all over our State and, as the old revivalists would have said it, there is a sound of an abundance of rain. Churches all over are reaching out, seeing conversions, and partnering together to bring in a great harvest of souls. There is an anticipation of an Awakening the likes of which we have only read about!
The fact that 1 out of every 800 or so Connecticut residents came into Hartford for the sole purpose of praying on Sunday night could make some policymakers do a little rethinking about the size of some constituencies. But more important than any possible political ramifications is the truth that when Connecticut prays, God hears...
Photo: (C) 2004, Matthew Trump
Tags: Connecticut, Christian, Evangelical, Hartford, prayer
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