On September 2, 2000, an estimated four hundred thousand people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for an event called "The Call." They were not there for a concert or a political rally. They came to fast and pray for twelve hours straight — no food, no entertainment, no celebrity appearances. Just prayer.
How It Started
Lou Engle, then a relatively unknown prayer leader from Pasadena, California, had a vision of young people filling the National Mall in solemn assembly. He had been on an extended fast himself when the vision came. With no budget, no organizational infrastructure, and no famous endorsements, Engle began to spread the word. He asked people to commit to forty days of fasting leading up to the event.
Thousands accepted the challenge. College students, pastors, families, and individuals across the United States went on various forms of fasting — some for the full forty days on liquids, others for shorter periods — all interceding for what they described as spiritual awakening in America.
The Day Itself
The gathering lasted from dawn until dusk. People stood, knelt, and lay prostrate on the grass. There were no merchandise tables. No offering was taken. Speakers would pray for a few minutes and then give way to sustained corporate intercession. Many attendees reported experiencing a tangible sense of God's presence over the Mall.
The Ripple Effect
In the years following The Call DC, Engle organized similar gatherings in Nashville, San Francisco, Detroit, Kansas City, and eventually in nations including South Africa, the Philippines, and South Korea. Each gathering was preceded by extended fasting. Many participants reported personal breakthroughs — freedom from addiction, restoration of marriages, renewed calling — that they traced directly to their decision to fast in preparation.
What This Means for You
The Call showed that corporate fasting is not an ancient relic. Four hundred thousand people in the year 2000 chose to spend a day hungry and praying instead of comfortable and entertained. The power of the event was not the size of the crowd — it was the shared sacrifice. When a community decides together that something matters enough to go hungry for, it creates a spiritual intensity that solitary fasting cannot match.