Prayers Ascend From Vegas Gamblers
We have no way to know for sure, but it is a highly probable that a disproportionate number of prayers are offered up from Las Vegas than from the average American city. Doesn’t everyone pray when they pull that slot handle, throw the dice, double down in blackjack, or wait as the roulette wheel begins to land that ball? Sure they do!
It’s debatable whether or not God gets directly involved in gambling. So, we’ll let the theologians fight over that one.
One almost mysterious fact about Las Vegas, Sin City, is that it is a religious city. There are sources that state that Las Vegas has more churches per capita than any other city in America. Other sources put it in the top ten. However, any way you count the chips, Vegas is a religious community with a large number of worship centers. Wedding chapels do not count.
There are over 500 churches, synagogues, and mosques in the Las Vegas area. Due to the high employment in the casino industry with inherent shift work schedules, it poses a challenge for churches. It can be difficult to maintain consistency in attendance with casino workers saddled with shift work.
There are some ministries that are specifically dedicated to minister to casino workers. There are also churches and independent ministries that reach out to prostitutes, gambling addicts, and others who need spiritual help.
We are confident that millions of prayers rise to Heaven from Las Vegas casinos. Both losers and winners probably keep prayers on their lips as they roll the dice, pull the handle, or take another card. We are not sure how these types of prayers are handled up above.
However, Proverbs 16.33 could generate a healthy theological argument on gambling. It states “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” One could make the case that there is no such thing as luck. Only with God’s permission will someone be a winner.
So, when you are in Vegas you can be sure that there are plenty of places to stay and plenty of places to pray. For more information about churches in Las Vegas read this.
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