Paul Whitaker
11th February 2006, 08:52 PM (20:52)
On Monday morning (2-6-06) during the student led 10 am Chapel at Asbury College in Kentucky God broke in resulting in praise worship and prayer. Students from neighboring Asbury Theological Seminary were also attending. The praise, worship, and prayer has continued uninterrupted at Hughes Chapel since Monday and is still going.
Students are committing their lives to Christ for the first time and scores of others are rededicating themselves to the Lord. Jesus is at the center of it all.
Wilmore freshman Michael Spann spent a total of 11 hours in Hughes Auditorium, praying and worshiping. Spann said that he and several other students have been meeting independently since early last term to pray for the college and for the Holy Spirit to move on the campus.
Asbury House of Prayer started in the original Asbury building on campus where generations of Asbury students have waited on God. Students have gathered and signed up to pray for the college independently. Currently, students have committed to more than 40 hours of prayer each week interceding for the college community
My brother Travis [Spann, a senior] felt strongly that something great was going to happen and yesterday God's will just broke out. People were just yearning for God. I can't even describe it. Michael Spann said. I didn't want to leave until I felt the Lord was in me the way He needed to be.
College President Dr. Paul Rader and his wife, Dr. Kay Rader, stayed in Hughes until after midnight. When they left, Dr. Rader said hundreds of students were still praying and praising.
Following the morning chapel the altar was crowded with students seeking the Lord two and three deep, with people praying in groups around the auditorium, he described. Throughout the day there has been a beautiful awareness of the Holiness of God. Many students took off their shoes with a sense of standing on Holy ground. God is answering the passionate and persistent prayers of committed students who have been fasting and praying for weeks for this kind of spiritual breakthrough. We are all rejoicing in it.
Stu Smith, associate dean for campus ministries and campus chaplain, said that news of the chapel service spread throughout the surrounding areas, high schools and other local colleges. Students called friends and relatives throughout the world to have them pray for Asbury College.
People were praying all over the world as God was moving here, Smith said.
Spann said he even heard that people off the streets of Wilmore just heard the music and were drawn to Hughes. People want to be transformed and that's what attracted them to Hughes. The music didn't stop. Smith said that when one group of students would tire from leading the worship another would move into their place. Nothing was coerced or planned.
Fitch's IGA in Wilmore and others in the community sent food and water for the students who couldn't leave.
Atlanta sophomore Hannah Helfen who spent several hours in Hughes yesterday said she didn't want to leave either. She says that God spoke to her in a different way. Typically not very outspoken, God told her that it was OK to be open about her faith and tell other people about Him.
Sophomore Ben Greenhoe from Ada, Mich., spent most of the day in Hughes. He said, When God moves, you have to respond. There's nothing else you can do when you meet your Creator face to face like we did yesterday. There's nothing else that could bring that many people together from so many different backgrounds. And the fact that it is still going on now speaks volumes.
Lisa Harper, director of communications and Transforming (class of 2007) advisor said, "It was incredible to be in the midst of it all, praying with the students at the altar and witnessing the joy and sweet peace. If that's not what we're about here then I don't know what we're about.
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On Wednesday this was written:
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President Paul A. Rader led the chapel service this morning as students, for the last three days, have converged on Hughes Auditorium for prayer and intercession for the campus and worldwide community. God continues to move across the campus, said Dr. Paul A. Rader. We have had students in Hughes Auditorium continuously since Monday at 10 a.m. when God came in such power and blessing during our Student Chapel. Last night at midnight there were several hundred in Hughes. Some stayed until 4 a.m. We met for a Prayer and Praise Chapel this morning with an awesome sense of expectation. God did not disappoint us. From the first praise chorus students began coming to the long altar at the front of the auditorium. Soon the altar was crowded with students again. There was incredible freedom in the Spirit as we sang and prayed and shared testimonies of God's gracious work in the hearts of students.
It has been wholly the work of the Spirit, who moved numbers of our students to passionate and persistent prayer in small groups over the past several months.
There has been a wonderful sense of the Spirit's ordering. We have been spared excesses and unhelpful sharing. Students have spoken with such wisdom and spiritual maturity. Scriptures so well chosen and so powerfully used of the Lord.
We do have this wonderful sense of the constant presence of God on this campus and He is palpably and preciously present to us today.
Junior Jonathan Grant of Mishawaka, Ind., st ayed in the auditorium until 3 a.m. Wednesday and returned again at 7 a.m. A late night or an all-nighter schedule typically witnessed during finals week, is being used to praise and worship God.
People kept saying, It doesn't matter if this ends in five minutes, what matters is what we do when we leave here how this changes us. God has become real to me and I have a responsibility and a gift to take and share with the world.
Stacy Stevens Hall, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., talked about the response from the local and nationwide community.
We are excited. It's amazing that God is using this time to call others to pray for Asbury College around the world. The news is spreading quickly and people want to join in the celebration.
Junior Emily Roberts from Sunapee, New Hampshire described her experience in Chapel Wednesday as a romance, having loved God all her life and finally realizing that God loves her in return.
Thank you for your interest and your prayers. To God be the glory and great is His faithfulness.
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Students are committing their lives to Christ for the first time and scores of others are rededicating themselves to the Lord. Jesus is at the center of it all.
Wilmore freshman Michael Spann spent a total of 11 hours in Hughes Auditorium, praying and worshiping. Spann said that he and several other students have been meeting independently since early last term to pray for the college and for the Holy Spirit to move on the campus.
Asbury House of Prayer started in the original Asbury building on campus where generations of Asbury students have waited on God. Students have gathered and signed up to pray for the college independently. Currently, students have committed to more than 40 hours of prayer each week interceding for the college community
My brother Travis [Spann, a senior] felt strongly that something great was going to happen and yesterday God's will just broke out. People were just yearning for God. I can't even describe it. Michael Spann said. I didn't want to leave until I felt the Lord was in me the way He needed to be.
College President Dr. Paul Rader and his wife, Dr. Kay Rader, stayed in Hughes until after midnight. When they left, Dr. Rader said hundreds of students were still praying and praising.
Following the morning chapel the altar was crowded with students seeking the Lord two and three deep, with people praying in groups around the auditorium, he described. Throughout the day there has been a beautiful awareness of the Holiness of God. Many students took off their shoes with a sense of standing on Holy ground. God is answering the passionate and persistent prayers of committed students who have been fasting and praying for weeks for this kind of spiritual breakthrough. We are all rejoicing in it.
Stu Smith, associate dean for campus ministries and campus chaplain, said that news of the chapel service spread throughout the surrounding areas, high schools and other local colleges. Students called friends and relatives throughout the world to have them pray for Asbury College.
People were praying all over the world as God was moving here, Smith said.
Spann said he even heard that people off the streets of Wilmore just heard the music and were drawn to Hughes. People want to be transformed and that's what attracted them to Hughes. The music didn't stop. Smith said that when one group of students would tire from leading the worship another would move into their place. Nothing was coerced or planned.
Fitch's IGA in Wilmore and others in the community sent food and water for the students who couldn't leave.
Atlanta sophomore Hannah Helfen who spent several hours in Hughes yesterday said she didn't want to leave either. She says that God spoke to her in a different way. Typically not very outspoken, God told her that it was OK to be open about her faith and tell other people about Him.
Sophomore Ben Greenhoe from Ada, Mich., spent most of the day in Hughes. He said, When God moves, you have to respond. There's nothing else you can do when you meet your Creator face to face like we did yesterday. There's nothing else that could bring that many people together from so many different backgrounds. And the fact that it is still going on now speaks volumes.
Lisa Harper, director of communications and Transforming (class of 2007) advisor said, "It was incredible to be in the midst of it all, praying with the students at the altar and witnessing the joy and sweet peace. If that's not what we're about here then I don't know what we're about.
-----------------------------------------------------
On Wednesday this was written:
-----------------------------------------------------
President Paul A. Rader led the chapel service this morning as students, for the last three days, have converged on Hughes Auditorium for prayer and intercession for the campus and worldwide community. God continues to move across the campus, said Dr. Paul A. Rader. We have had students in Hughes Auditorium continuously since Monday at 10 a.m. when God came in such power and blessing during our Student Chapel. Last night at midnight there were several hundred in Hughes. Some stayed until 4 a.m. We met for a Prayer and Praise Chapel this morning with an awesome sense of expectation. God did not disappoint us. From the first praise chorus students began coming to the long altar at the front of the auditorium. Soon the altar was crowded with students again. There was incredible freedom in the Spirit as we sang and prayed and shared testimonies of God's gracious work in the hearts of students.
It has been wholly the work of the Spirit, who moved numbers of our students to passionate and persistent prayer in small groups over the past several months.
There has been a wonderful sense of the Spirit's ordering. We have been spared excesses and unhelpful sharing. Students have spoken with such wisdom and spiritual maturity. Scriptures so well chosen and so powerfully used of the Lord.
We do have this wonderful sense of the constant presence of God on this campus and He is palpably and preciously present to us today.
Junior Jonathan Grant of Mishawaka, Ind., st ayed in the auditorium until 3 a.m. Wednesday and returned again at 7 a.m. A late night or an all-nighter schedule typically witnessed during finals week, is being used to praise and worship God.
People kept saying, It doesn't matter if this ends in five minutes, what matters is what we do when we leave here how this changes us. God has become real to me and I have a responsibility and a gift to take and share with the world.
Stacy Stevens Hall, a senior from Knoxville, Tenn., talked about the response from the local and nationwide community.
We are excited. It's amazing that God is using this time to call others to pray for Asbury College around the world. The news is spreading quickly and people want to join in the celebration.
Junior Emily Roberts from Sunapee, New Hampshire described her experience in Chapel Wednesday as a romance, having loved God all her life and finally realizing that God loves her in return.
Thank you for your interest and your prayers. To God be the glory and great is His faithfulness.
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