Happy New Year!
I hope your holiday was refreshing and encouraging, because mine was :) Tia and I spent Christmas with my family in Dallas Texas. Amazingly it was a white Christmas down there. I think it snowed just for Tia. We spent five days there then on the 28th Tia flew back to Denver and I was off to Kansas City for a conference with IHOP (International House of Prayer) called ONE Thing. I'm not a big conference goer but a friend talked me into going and I felt like God was saying "GO!" So I went and it was Empowered! It was definitely on the windy side...I never really experienced anything like it - maybe you've been in a huge congregational setting (20,000) and experienced the Holy Spirit descend like a Windy Fire!? This was my first time and WOA!... it was sweet! Now don't get me wrong, I've definitely had profound spiritual experiences, visions, and witnessing of His power, (Heaven Fest being one) but this was different and refreshing! One of the nights during worship I was filled with an overwhelming presence of Joy and laughter. I could hardly control it. Then God asked me to pray for people...for emotional healing. I prayed for this Korean girl next to me. I don't think she spoke much English, she was wearing an IHOP Korea shirt which indicated that she was in the Korean Track of the conference. She was standing next to me looking very somber and sad. The Lord said pray for emotional healing. I prayed and she started shaking and I kept praying and then she fell over! I caught her and laid her down. She was passed out. She got up later and was ok. Crazy! Then I turned around and the facilitator on stage invited people to raise their hand if they were struggling with depression. This guy standing next to me raised his hand. So I started praying for him and he fell over! The rest of the evening I watched people get physically healed and receive the Joy of the Lord. It was like a giant Holy Spirit party. Lots of celebrating, crying, laughing, testimonies and healing... really awesome!
Will you pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit here in Denver? I feel like what God is doing in Kansas City at IHOP he wants to poor out here. Why not?! Denver is a city on a hill, a beacon of light attracting people from all nations, and a bridge from which God wants to send people out to work for His Kingdom. What an awesome privilege to be able to work for this purpose, at this time, in this city! My mission's team at Worship and the Word Movement are praying for Revival - an awakening of the presence of Jesus and His Holy Spirit power in us. That's why Heaven Fest exists and why we're working towards 24/7 prayer/worship. This is the fuel behind extreme acts of service and justice- such as Ending Homelessness and partnering with groups like Home of Refuge and LOVE 146. We can't have one without the other.
Please Pray: Luke 4:14-19 & Isaiah 61 - May the Spirit of the Lord be upon us!
Also, for the past couple of months God has been speaking to me about starting a prayer/worship gathering, inviting ministry leaders and students in seeking Jesus and praying for His power to be released at Auraria Campus; or if one is there, to help push it forward. I'm currently going to be investigating what is going on with this. So I'm currently setting up meetings with Auraria ministry leaders, to see where we are and how to move forward. I believe Auraria is a strategic location for where I believe God wants to poor out an Awakening. Please pray these scriptures - How HUGE are these?! The Lord spoke these to me four months ago to be praying and I've asked you to be praying them. Can you see how they are moving into action? Please keep praying them. Now more than ever!
1 Cor 1: 10 - 17 Pray for unity within the Vineyard Community and with surrounding churches and ministries in the city and on campus. Crush the religious allegiance to a Pastor / Leader or Ministry and open the path for there to be a true faith community with one allegiance to Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 2: 13 - 16 Pray for an awakening of God's spirit in the hearts of people. Especially those who we may come in contact with :) May it be God's power and not any man's wisdom that captures peoples hearts and minds.
1 Cor 6: 12 - 17 Pray for a new way of living free from addiction and immoral habits. As a city we top the charts in condom sales (7th in the nation). Also we are a City of young adults where sexuality and relationships are a huge issue, particularly with college students.
1 Cor 9: 19 - 23 Pray that we be empowered and able to become all things to all men so that by all possible means we might save some.
One last thing. Welcome to those who are new to the prayer and support team! I'm blessed by your commitment to give financially and by investing your time in prayer. Your prayers are powerful. Take hold of that truth! You are lighting up the way for me, protecting me, and empowering me. We are in an exciting time!
Please keep praying for financial provision. I'm not where I need to be, but moving forward. At one point where it looked like no doors were going to open, several suddenly opened at once. I believe it is because of your prayers, opening up the heaven's and releasing God's kingdom perspective.
I'm blessed by you.
Sincerely,
Patrick
