Gather 25: A Glimpse of Heaven on Earth

Wow. Y’all, God is moving—not just in a certain age group, country, or city, but globally. Gather 25™ was the first of its kind: a worldwide gathering of the Church.

“For 25 hours, Gather25 invited believers across the world to pray, repent, worship, and discover how the love of Jesus is transforming the world through everyday people.”

I attended the conference in Dallas, and honestly, it’s hard to put into words what I experienced. We use the word “transformative” a lot, but this truly was. If you were there or participated in a local gathering, you know what it was like to witness the global Church come together—all to worship the God who created us. It was just a glimpse of heaven on earth. The gathering started in Dallas and then moved across the world—New Zealand, India, the Persecuted Church, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Western Europe, and South America—all live-streamed.

Watching the Persecuted Church segment was deeply eye-opening. It’s hard to comprehend that many people can’t openly proclaim their love for Jesus without risking their lives. We often take for granted the freedom we have in the U.S. to worship without fear. I encourage you to take an hour to watch the Persecuted Church session—it’s real people, risking everything for their faith in Christ.

Seeing other cultures worship the Lord in their native languages was indescribable. My mind still struggles to process what I witnessed. I think about heaven often, and this was just a glimpse of what it will look and sound like—people of all backgrounds, colors, and cultures lifting their hands in worship to the One who created us. In a world filled with division, conflict, and chaos, so many of us long for the same thing: peace and for God to reign over all. If nothing else, this gathering was proof of God’s goodness. Life on earth is difficult, messy, and hard—but He is still good, and an eternal heaven is waiting for us.

I still can’t believe it. I have to go back and watch some of the sermons I missed, but wow—God showed up. And to think, this all started with one small seed. Jennie Allen wrestled with a question from a dream: “What if Jesus came back in 10 years?” That one moment led her to take the next step, gather a team, and pray—ultimately creating Gather 25.

I encourage you to read more about Gather 25 here.

There was so much I experienced during this gathering—so much clarity, yet also moments of being completely broken before our powerful and sovereign God. I truly don’t understand how people can question God’s existence. How do you explain life? The sun in the sky? The intentional creation of our differences? I just—how can you not believe in God? That thought consumed me for much of the first night of Gather 25. I was simply in awe of His goodness and faithfulness.

The Holy Spirit was moving, and I’ve never been more sure of it.

This may sound small, but where I sat on Day 1, the back of a girl’s sweatshirt said, “Faith over Fear.” On Day 2, a guy’s sweatshirt read, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” (Proverbs 3:5). I didn’t realize until later that God was reminding me of these two things—truths I have to cling to daily because He knows I struggle with them.

They had a prayer room at the Dallas location. Five years ago, I probably wouldn’t have stepped foot in it, but this time, I did. I walked to the third row, sat down, and just talked to God. I shed a few tears, then moved to the front, where there were rocks to write down sins, repent, and place them at the foot of the cross. I wrote down my biggest one, set my rock down, and prayed. As I glanced at others’ rocks, my heart ached because every single one of us struggles—whether we say it out loud or not. I was encouraged by the vulnerability around me and the reminder that we are all far more alike than we admit.

I almost didn’t go. I invited a friend, but she couldn’t make it. I didn’t have anyone else in mind to invite. But now, I see that God fully intended for me to experience this with just Him. Though I was surrounded by thousands, it was a deeply personal encounter with the Lord. He has been nudging me in several ways since the end of last year, and I walked away from Gather 25 with even more clarity—to continue walking out what He has placed before me and to pray for the global Church because, wow—God is moving, and won’t He continue to?

I highly recommend watching the replays of Gather 25, as I plan to do the same. They’re available until March 31 on their website here.

I pray you know that God is real. That prayer really works. And that He has called us to love and disciple others. In fact, as I was driving home from Dallas, I was listening to my church’s sermon, finishing a four-week series on Jonah. Guess what verse they left us with? The exact one that Gather 25 had been preaching—to the ends of the earth.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

We are called to make disciples—each of us in a unique way, using the gifts God has given us. Whatever He has placed on your heart, whoever He has put in your path, we are called to share Jesus and His love, grace, and mercy.

I hope you watch Gather 25 and feel truly transformed and revitalized, knowing that God is moving through our world.

He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. – Hebrews 13:8

Right after leaving Gather 25 on night two, I recorded this “short” video (it’s actually 10 minutes, oops) to debrief and capture all the emotions and experiences while they were still fresh. Watch below and join me in praying for God’s continued movement across the world.

Watch the video here.