It’s not often that an audience can go to a concert intending to see a few bands perform and end praying.

This was the case last Thursday night at Hilton Coliseum as Christian rock artists Stephen Curtis Chapman, Audio Adrenaline and Carolyn Arends gathered for a powerful performance — one that exemplified musicians using their talents as a vessel with which to worship God.

The evening began with new Christian rocker, Carolyn Arends, singing the title track from her debut disc I Can Hear You. After a couple faster songs, the Canadian artist continued with a slower melodic folk tune called “Seize the Day,” which included complementing harmony between violin and guitar.

Arends ended her time on stage with “New Year’s Day,” a tune from her latest CD Feel Free.

Coliseum lights were left off as the stage crew set the stage for the much anticipated Audio Adrenaline. “Just The Good Ol’ Boys” from “The Dukes of Hazard” played over the sound system as the band walked onto the stage in the dark.

As the “Hazard” anthem came to an end, the lights came on and a banner displaying the Audio Adrenaline bloOm logo rolled down from an attachment on the ceiling.

As the band opened with its nergized remake of “Free Ride,” lead singer Mark Stuart proclaimed at the top of his lungs “Jesus Christ died on a cross so that you and I could have a Free Ride.”

After playing a few more upbeat songs controlled by wailing electric guitars and a demanding trap set, the band slowed things down with “Man of God,” a song the band wrote to confess that as Christian rock stars they have to face the same struggles in their walk with God as everyone else.

“Sometimes we don’t feel worthy of getting up in front of everybody at a concert,” Stuart said. “We are made perfect and righteous only through the blood of Jesus Christ.”

Finishing up its performance time with a few more upbeat tunes, Audio Adrenaline left the stage after successfully completing its task of warming up the audience.

It was then time for Christian rock superstar Steven Curtis Chapman. After some audience encouragement, Chapman walked onto the stage singing the title track from his latest CD Signs of Life.

After singing some older songs from his previous works, Chapman stopped singing for awhile to inform the audience of May 5, a date that Congress has declared the National Day of Prayer.

“We are still one nation under God, and God is on the throne,” Chapman said. “Thursday, May 5, we will come before His throne humbly but boldly to pray for our Nation.”

“Come on Ames, Iowa, Let us pray,” Chapman said as the band began playing “Let Us Pray,” a song from Chapman’s new album and the theme song for this year’s National Day of Prayer.

Turning the concert into more of a personal atmosphere, Chapman’s band formed a semi-circle around him and the superstar sang a couple ballads that challenged the audience to think about various aspects of God.

“Every human being was created by God and for God,” Chapman said. “It says in John 16:33, ‘In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world.'”

For his encore Chapman played “Lord of the Dance,” a song that involves funky guitar licks and improvisational jazz violin. Chapman used many symbols and poetic phrases to explain that even though humans live on earth and make decisions on a daily basis, it is God’s ultimate control that gives “purpose to chance.”

The concert ended as Chapman invited the musicians from the other two bands back onto stage for a final song and a final bow.