Snapshots

Snapshots

This fall, 10 Days occurred in over 30 regions and cities.  These gatherings ranged from true “city-wide” gatherings, engaging hundreds or thousands of people, to small groups meeting together over 10 Days.  Here’s a glimpse at what God did in four of these locations:

Africa:

2016 was the first year that we saw 10 Days take root in Africa!  This was an amazing confirmation of God’s word earlier this year to me about opening up 10 Days in Africa.  Here’s a report from Julius Okodii who led the 10 Days in Uganda.

“We bless the Lord for everything, 10days of prayer and fasting was wonderful, we had 48 community members attending every evening and praying and fasting every day then evenings we had time to strongly pray for two hours only interceding. [The wife of a key government official] was with us the whole of ten days and she was so excited to be part of this prayer and fasting for the first time. We had the House of Prayer team participating and helping in worship when the intercession is done.”

“We prayed strongly for America, South Sudan, Italy and Uganda. We also prayed for unity amongst the ministers and churches in Gulu, and also had time to pray for the ministry. The community involved also had healing and deliverance testimonies and their faith and prayer life really lifted…some of them wants to be doing fasting every Tuesday and come and have intercession time at house of prayer in the evening from 4pm for two hours every week.”

“We bless the Lord for this opportunity and connection I know it was also powerful from America. The vision of the Lord is yet very clear revival time for Africa is just starting and we can feel His direction. We just have continue being focus to Him and allow our motive honor His callings and anointing upon our lives especially the young ones with the fire burning in them to work for the aggrandizement of his kingdoms. Thank you for supporting and loving us.”

San Antonio, Texas:

I guess we could say 10 Days took root in another foreign country as well…TEXAS!

10 Days in San Antonio was a bit of a hybrid format, with a “day retreat” each day from 10am-3pm in one place and evening gatherings hosted around the city by different churches.  I love how each city takes the vision and applies their own unique stamp to it! The first night was in San Pedro Park, the birthplace of San Antonio, with around 170 folks participating.  The gatherings were very diverse with white, black, Hispanic, Baptist, Charismatic, Catholic, and many other groups as well.

Team Unity: David Brown shared how at the 10 Days Summit in Denver, he experienced "John 17 unity” in a new way.  However, when their city steering team met initially, he felt like “it would be a miracle if our steering team could experience that same spirit of unity”.  It wasn’t that anyone on the team was doing anything wrong, there was no strife, sin, or conflict.  It was just that he’d gotten a small taste of something more and wanted to see it in San Antonio.

God moved in powerful ways among the team.  One breakthrough came as several Catholic members of the team insisted that they all take communion together each night of the 10 Days.  Boundaries were broken down and David found himself experiencing that same “spirit of unity” among their steering team, the miracle he'd been seeking.  As David said, “this unity thing is serious…and it’s working”.

As an external manifestation, one military analyst commented to David that he’d never seen churches coming together without plugging their own ministries.  There was no jealousy as the churches shared together.  David also shared how 10 Days had projected him and others forward in God.  Those who participated regularly had genuine heart and attitude shifts toward the Lord and toward other people.

Of course, there were miracles!  Allan Parker shared about two pairs of physical healings.  In both, a person was healed miraculously, then immediately God used them to heal another person.  In one instance, a woman was interceding generally for God to “open deaf ears”, in other words, for people to be open to the gospel, not for literal ears to open.  Allan had had horrible congestion that had lasted for weeks and made it very difficult to hear.  Immediately, as she prayed this powerful but general prayer, his congestion was gone and he could hear perfectly.  Truly, the word of God is powerful!  After receiving this healing, Allan immediately prayed over a woman in the room who was (literally) deaf in one ear.  Her ear was opened!  As he shared on the phone, “I’ve never done that before!”

10 Days Boston - Students Encountering Jesus

Cleveland

Vontayne Smith and the team in Cleveland set a new record by mobilizing for 10 Days in just two and a half weeks!  They had 3 hour morning and evening sessions in one location (Church on the North Coast), and simulcast portions of 10 Days to 3 other locations.  Akron, Ohio was also joining in from 10am-10pm each day.

The powerful presence of the Lord was the most striking characteristic of the time: Vontayne shared, “The atmosphere was filled with the presence of God.  Each worship team nightly ushered us into His presence and daily we soaked with worship music, along with the reading of the word and prayers of repentance…Each time we’d come in, it was like adding more wood to the fire…it got to the point where when we came in to the sanctuary, He was waiting for us.  He welcomed us [into His presence], we did not welcome Him.”  Vontayne also shared how “the area directly in front of the podium where the prayers ascended to God had a stronger sense of His presence than any other place in the church.  One man who came up to pray could not stand in the presence of God…”

Consecration was another theme of Cleveland’s gathering. As Vontayne shared, “The consecration did something for us.”  By truly setting apart the 10 Days and cutting out parts of “normal life”, the presence of God was able to grow and build in a special way over the consecrated time. 

10 Days - Chicago

Chicago

First Cleveland, and now Chicago.  In light of the current World Series match up, I’m wondering if we should start advertising that cities who do 10 Days will get to host the World Series (or maybe we’ll keep that perk a secret!)

This was the second year for Chicago doing the 10 Days.  I spoke with Jose Oyola at length and couldn’t help but be affected by the joy and passion in his voice.  As we spoke, I thought “what a contrast between this joyful, hopeful man and the despairing spirit we see in so many parts of the nation right now.”  I think that’s the difference that comes from being in God’s presence—He changes us and renews us with Hope!

Jose shared how by the end of 10 Days he was overwhelmed by a sense of “unspeakable joy and the Lord’s presence.”  He shared how 10 Days was causing a growing awareness among participating ministries that unity is not optional.  “Unity is very real…it’s burning in my heart.  The ‘one man show’ format is not going to fly anymore.”  While praying during 10 Days, God was stirring vision in him and other friends for city-wide network to enable the various gifts and ministries to flow throughout the city.  Connecting in prayer is opening up the idea of partnering in other areas throughout the year as well. Another theme of 10 Days in Chicago was prayer for evangelism, for souls, and a growing sense of urgency for the harvest to come in before the Lord’s return.

Jose shared a particularly encouraging moment on October 10.  God began to release a word over Chicago that Chicago, like the city of Jericho in the Bible, was a city that had never been conquered and was viewed as “impenetrable and unassailable” in the spirit.  Jericho and Chicago are both “too hard” to conquer.   However, just as the walls of Jericho fell in a moment before the people of God, so too, the city of Chicago could and would fall before the Lord.  Jose shared the incredible sense of faith the word released, as well as the divine perspective that “Chicago is a small thing in the eyes of God.”

Conclusion:

It’s really very simple.

If we seek God, we will find Him.  If we humble ourselves before Him, He will give us grace.

This is the way to live, the only way to live!

Let’s continue to seek Him with true Hope and begin to build on what He’s established in us during these 10 Days!