When nearly 400 students came together for a recent Night of Prayer and Worship in Glasgow, they witnessed God moving powerfully in their city—a glimpse of what church leaders are praying will happen at the city’s God Loves You Tour stop on June 22.
“Young people were on the stage praying, and after the message, a number of them responded to the Gospel,” said Chris Smith.
For years, Smith said, churches throughout Scotland have been praying for spiritual revival. As director for the God Loves You Tour stop in Glasgow, Smith is working with pastors and church leaders to prepare for this evangelistic outreach and impact future generations for the Gospel.
In past months, hundreds of young people have participated in one of nine training courses to learn how to share their faith.
“Only a small percentage of the people [in this city] would see themselves as practicing Christians,” Smith said.
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That’s why believers across Scotland are excited to see what God will do in the country’s most populous city. While some people are apathetic toward God, others are curious about Him.
“People are interested in exploring things of a spiritual nature … so there is potential for openness to the Gospel,” one pastor said.
Four years ago, Franklin Graham had planned to share a message of hope across eight cities in the United Kingdom—including Glasgow—through an evangelistic tour.
The events were postponed due to a legal battle involving religious freedom, after seven venues cancelled their legally binding contracts with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in January 2020. Most of those cases have been resolved favorably.
In the years since, churches in the region have shown a greater desire for cooperation. As the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many people to consider spiritual matters, local Christians realized they needed to think outside the box when it came to reaching out to their neighbors.
“The evangelical church as a whole is working together for the sake of the Gospel,” said Smith. “Since COVID, there has been a real rise in church unity, and pastors from across Glasgow and Edinburgh meet once a week on Zoom to pray.”
‘Let Glasgow Flourish’
Many Christians proudly reference the city’s original motto: “Lord, let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of Thy word and praising Thy name.”
In modern times, the motto has been shortened to “Let Glasgow flourish,” but pastors hope next weekend’s outreach will help revive the city’s spiritual roots.
“There is a significant move of God about to happen,” a pastor shared. “Leaders are poising themselves and preparing their hearts for that.”
This article originally appeared on the BillyGraham.org, and is reposted with permission.
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