06 August 2011

Thousands of people gathered to pray and a worship in a spirit of humility, penance and petition to God on Saturday in a packed Reliant Stadium. The demographic diversity of attendees underscored The Response's broad appeal.
                             Photo By Patrick Butler/ResonateNews.comBy Patrick Butler | ResonateNews.com

HOUSTON — Thousands of people gathered to pray and a worship in a spirit of humility, penance and petition to God on Saturday in a packed Reliant Stadium. The demographic diversity of attendees underscored The Response's broad appeal.

Thousands raised their voices and hands in extended times of praise led by youth-oriented bands and "worship leaders" eschewing robed choirs or traditional church approaches to worship.

And not just Texas society joined. Response attendees came from neighboring states to join Texans in calling out to God for his mercy in a time of "economic, moral and physical" distress that event speakers said not only plague Texas, but the nation.

The governors of Kansas and Florida appeared via video clips encouraging and standing with The Response gathering. Gov. Sam Brownback of Kansas read the Bible from 2 Chronicles 7:11-15.

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.” Response attendee the Rev. David Rhodes of Oklahoma said he made the interstate trip because, “The Response is not just for Texas. This is a national call to prayer and repentance. This is our nation we are praying for. How could I not respond to that call?”

A reoccurring theme of the first four hours of The Response was the responsibility of the church to lead the way in repentance, not demand of it of others.”

“It time we stop pointing fingers at others and take care of business in the household of God,” said Doug Stringer, founder of Somebody Cares America. It was a thought repeated by a series of speakers that including James and Shirley Dobson, Tony Evans, president of The Urban Alternative, Richard Land, Tony Perkins, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Dr. Frank Wright, Bishop Roy Kossie, the Rev. Steve Riggle, the Rev. Ted Elmore, the Rev. Jason Talyor, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry among others.

As The Response moves into afternoon prayers — without a break for lunch because many people are fasting — the gathering breaks up into groups of two to three to pray for God's intervention for various problems that beset the country.

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