Raleigh, N.C. — Thousands of people are expected at a religious rally Thursday night in Raleigh, where David Jeremiah and his Turning Point ministries will hold an event at the PNC Arena.

The leader of the 30-year-old Bible ministry said people hunger for the word of God during tough economic times.

“It’s just incredible to be there with that many believers who are unabashedly praising the Lord together,” he said. “Many of them have come out of difficult times during the week. Some of the people have been hit by this recession, lost their homes. When they get together and they rejoice together, it just lifts the whole spirit of the congregation.”

Jeremiah dedicated his most recent book, “God Loves You,” to the Rev. Billy Graham. His broadcast has also been picked up by the USA Network, which announced Thursday that it will begin airing the syndicated show on Oct. 7.

The 30-minute program could potentially reach 88 million homes in the United States, according to Jeremiah.

“The USA Network recently approached our ministry with the available time slot and gave us 48 hours to make a decision," he said. "In the world of television, those who hesitate are truly lost, so we decided to move forward and gratefully signed the contract. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to reach millions more people with the saving message of Jesus Christ and to help us achieve our mission of delivering the unchanging word of God to an ever‐changing world.”