Kanye West’s Sunday Service was a surprise sensation in 2019, and it appears will be picking right up where it left off as 2020 gets underway.
Awaken 2020 is a large, free, stadium-sized event for Christians in Arizona that takes place annually at Sun Devil Stadium that promises the beginning of a spiritual awakening. It’s already a big event featuring big names in the Christian sphere, but when Kanye West announced he’d be bringing his Sunday Service choir in for a performance, interest went through the roof and the free event sold out to capacity in mere minutes.
The sharp spike even crashed the website for a time. A video trailer for the event can be seen below:
The event website describes their mission like this:
“This January 18th, 2020 at Sun Devil Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, it’s time for you to be part of the Jesus awakening that is shifting HISTORY. Open the door and enter into a new era, a new decade, of revival that is bringing a movement of signs and wonders, healing of the sick, and preaching of the gospel.”
The event already has a long list of performers ready to roll this Saturday, including Korn founding member Brian Welch, Lou Engle, Guillermo Maldonado, Jeremy Riddle and more.
Sun Devil stadium holds over 50,000 and has seen monumental events such as U2, The Rolling Stones, and more. Now, Kanye West’s Sunday Service choir will be playing for a sold-out crowd.
Awaken began back in 1997 after founder Lou Engle had a vision while driving by the stadium. Here’s how he explained it to the Western Journal:
I just felt the Lord speak to me, ‘I will fill that stadium one day, and it will rock the nation,’” he said.
Engle shared his vision with a group of students of the campus of Arizona State University, where the stadium is located, later in the day.
“It was there in Phoenix that night when I prophesied over Sun Devil, that I declared the hearts of the fathers are turning to the children … but [also] the hearts of the children are going to turn to their fathers,” he said.
The evangelist was referencing the Bible verse Malachi 4:6.
Kanye’s participation in this event has Engle feeling like things are going to be even better than usual this year.
“We believe Kanye is a sign to this nation that in a moment, thousands and thousands can be swept into the kingdom when [God] converts key people and their voices will be like thunder,” the evangelist (Engle) said.
Sun Devil Stadium has hosted the Super Bowl and college football championship games, and was even featured in the 1996 hit movie “Jerry Maguire,” but what is about to happen there in terms of national, long-term significance may eclipse them all.
Faithwire has reported at length on Kanye’s transformation over the past year.
News of West’s newfound faith initially came from fellow rapper Nicki Minaj, who, while hosting “Queen Radio” on Apple Music, revealed West told her that he turned to God in 2016, when he was hospitalized and ultimately diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
“Sometimes in the music business, we think that other artists don’t believe in God or aren’t spiritual as we are,” she explained. “Then when you find people, because I was just with Kanye, and he told me he’s a born-again Christian now.”
Minaj went on to say she noticed a change in West’s demeanor the last time she saw the fashion designer.
“Like, my first instinct was, ‘I’m so proud of you,’ because I could see there’s a peace that he has now that just surpasses everything,” she said. “And that’s what I find God gives you. And I love when I see men that are man enough to embrace God.”
Minaj recalled hearing other men in her life tell her they don’t believe in God — a lack of faith she says “scared the living hell out of me.”
Be praying for Kanye, his choir, and this incredible event!