2016 Summit Recap
It’s a moment I won’t soon forget…
Here we were, in Denver, with city uniters and powerful prayer leaders from around the nation. We’re having a prayer meeting in a black Pentecostal church. Sounds like a recipe for an explosive time in God’s presence.
And we are all falling asleep…
Looking around the room, I thought it was hilarious that we were all falling asleep (in a prayer meeting) at the same time. We’re kind of into prayer after all.
Before you judge us too harshly, our schedule had been demanding and it was late. We were legitimately tired and needed some of that “Jesus in the back of the boat” time.
Then, suddenly, a change took place in the room. The sleepy and the lethargic began to awake as the worship leaders began to sing “Lord, make me a house of prayer.” As this chorus was repeated, all of us felt a sudden surge of energy. We went from zero to shouting out loud in about 5 seconds as the presence of God flooded the room and we entered into powerful, Christ exulting worship and intercession for the establishing of night and day prayer in Denver. It was amazing how we moved and responded to the Spirit of God as one.
The Summit
Several months ago, we felt God opening a door for a national gathering of city-uniters, brothers and sisters in arms for the purpose of encouraging one another and also going deeper in the vision of 10 Days and the 1 Church Initiative. I knew God was in this, but the results really exceeded my expectations.
We had about 15 uniters from around the nation gather together for the Summit. Then, we took this smaller group and merged it into a city-wide pastor’s meeting of fifty Denver pastors and the 10 Days Together occurring throughout the city in different churches each evening.
It was a blessing to get to experience 10 Days in another city. I loved watching Father Phil Eberhart at work loving the church in Denver, sharing an encouraging word, bringing a timely message, always pointing to the head, Jesus Christ.
Experiencing John 17
My favorite part of the gathering was the fellowship we had together. Many of us have worked together on things “from a distance” but this was an opportunity to live life together and share what we knew of God in more depth. We even traveled everywhere together, packing into a 15 passenger van like kids in youth group.
You learn things about people when you’re together:
Jason Hubbard has an infectious laugh and an incredible revelation of the glory of Jesus Christ. He also needs strong coffee in the morning in order to function. As we discovered, we’re both too old for all-night prayer meetings.
Allan Parker, a lawyer, has worked for 16 years to combat Row v. Wade. He got into prayer because he realized this issue would never be resolved by natural means. He’s interviewed over 4,000 women about the harmful effects of their abortions, and presented this evidence before the Supreme Court. The man is a modern day William Wilberforce.
I could share a similar story about everyone who participated this year. There’s a deep and abiding love in my heart for them—it amazes me how the Lord can work love into our hearts in such a brief time.
During the Summit, we talked about how John 17 unity is supernatural. Being “one as the Father and Son are one” is far beyond just being in the same room and not fighting or even being in agreement. Talking about supernatural unity is one thing—experiencing it is something else entirely.
One participant shared how the Summit was his first actual taste of a group of people experiencing John 17 unity together and how striking it was when compared to other environments he had recently experienced. Our hope was that people would get to actually experience John 17, not just talk about it, and I’m grateful for the Lord giving us that kind of an experience together.
Teaching that Shifts Paradigms
We had an amazing collection of teachers gathered together in Denver. As many said, they were there to share “a piece of the puzzle”. Each presentation seemed potentially revolutionary for the person hearing it.
Topics covered by Gaylord Enns, Grant Berry, Gregg Healey, and Jason Hubbard included embracing Jesus’ New commandment, reconnecting with the Jewish people, disconnecting from the worship of money, and mobilizing entire regions to sustain 24/7 prayer together. Jason shared powerful testimonies about how a regional, 24/7 strategy is affecting change and bringing measurable change to Bellingham, WA.
Personally, I was especially impacted by Grant’s message related to the Jewish People. I was stirred and challenged in a new way to love and care for the people that God calls “my first-born”—I felt like my heart connected at a deeper level with what my mind can read in Romans chapters 9-11.
Pivot to the Fall 10 Days
The Summit was a powerful point of connection; it was also a pivot toward the fall 10 Days which is October 2-12, 2016. Already, I’m hearing about exciting efforts taking place around the nation. San Antonio is hosting their first 10 Days this fall. There’s a massive tent coming to Boston (the Commons?!) for 10 Days and nights of worship and prayer. I’m sure God has some surprises in store for us as well.
We’d love to hear about what’s being planned in your city and to support you as you unite the Body for the purpose of prayer this fall. If you’re interested in coordinating a 10 Days in your city for the first time, reach out to us at 10daysinfo@gmail.com.
Yours,
Jonathan Friz