About 25,000 gathered on the Mall at the nation’s capital on Oct 22 for an 18-hour-long event focused on prayer and fasting for the United States prior the presidential election in November.
Bishop John Gimenez, pastor of Rock Church in Virginia and founder of the organization, which prompted the rallies, “One Nation Under God,” says the rally is a special occasion for Christians to gather crying out to God asking for guidance.
"We're meeting to pray. We're meeting to intercede. We're meeting to make a difference in this country," he said. "We are simply gathering to ask God to help our country."
The rally took place ten days before Election Day and confronted issues such as pornography, homosexuality, abortion, and racism, which have caused the nation to be "out of control" and in a "severe moral decline," according to Gimenez.
Beginning at 6 a.m., participants fasted and prayed for 12 hours followed by a 6-hour worship event. Afterwards, a special leadership rally open to the public took place.
Even though there were only 25,000 people attended the event, organizer Bishop John Gimenez said afterward, "We did what God called us to do. The rest is up to Him."
In 1980, over a half a million people gathered at the National Mall in Washington D.C. to repent and pray for the nation and world during the “Washington for Jesus” rally. Sixteen years later, the organization’s founder is hoping to rekindle the flame through the “America for Jesus” rally.
One Nation Under God also organized a “Washington for Jesus” rally in 1988, drawing over a million people, and third in 1996 attended by over 500,000 people.
The purpose of the “America for Jesus” rally, as stated on the rally’s Web site, is to:
• Celebrate the unique gifts of “faith and family” that God has so generously poured out on the people of this nation.
• Pray that Christians would fully accept the responsibilities of our citizenship, and help their fellow citizens build a “new nation under God.”
• Minister salvation and deliverance to all who come.
• Set up a national América Para Jesucristo movement in every state and major city.
• Give personal testimony of the redemptive power of God.
• Pray for the United States of America as “one nation under God.”
