Prayer is crucial in evangelism: Only God can change the heart.no matter how logical our arguments or how fervent our appeals, our words will accomplish nothing unless God s Spirit prepares the way. - Billy Graham INTERCESSOR INSIGHTS: Denver: Known as the Mile High City, Denver is the 15th largest city in the nation. Much of the Denver area along the I-25 corridor is referred to as The Front Range. Of the nearly 5 million people who live in the state of Colorado, over 4 million live in the metro Denver area. While our population growth is far above the norm of most of the country, church growth trails far behind. The SBC church-to-population ratio for SEND Denver is 1 to 19,397. Thus, there is a desperate need for strong, evangelistically passionate churches to saturate The Front Range and beyond. Northern (Longs Peak) Region: The Northern region of the Front Range is known as the Longs Peak region. It has Weld & Larimer counties and part of Boulder County included. Four Major communities define this region: Fort Collins (1 to 19,000 SBC church to population ratio), Loveland(1 to 24,000 SBC church to population ratio), Greeley (1 to 12,500 SBC church to population ratio) and Longmont (1 to 45,000 SBC Church to population ratio). Pikes Peak Region: South of Denver is known as the Pikes Peak region with the major city in this region being Colorado Springs. Metro Colorado Springs has a population of over 645,000 Strategic 15er Praying: For the vision to occur we must be diligent and committed to Prayer saturation that leads to Gospel saturation that results is reducing lostness, multiplying new disciples which will birth new churches that will multiply exponentially all along the Front Range and the West for the glory of God. Our Process: A. Prayer Saturation: Blitzing the Front Range with Prayer. R.A. Torrey wrote, We live in a day characterized by the multiplication of man s machinery and the diminution of God s power. The great cry of our day is work, work, work, organize, organize, organize, give us some new society, tell us some new methods, devise some new machinery, but the great need of our day is prayer, more prayer, and better prayer. 1. Pray for God to raise up 15ers (15,000 intercessors who will go to the summit and intercede on behalf of laborers and stand in the gap on behalf of the rampant lostness in our region.) Pray these verses: When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. (Matt. 9:36-38, *HCSB) *All Scripture references are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, (HCSB) I searched for a man among them who would repair the wall and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land so that I might not destroy it, but I found no one. (Ezek. 22:30)
2. Pray for intercessors and laborers of a different mindset, who are faithful, courageous, resolved, focused, and filled with faith. Pray these verses: Someone said to Him, I will follow You wherever You go! Jesus told him, Foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. After this, the Lord appointed 70 others, and He sent then ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He Himself was about to go. He told them: The harvest is abundant but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.i am sending you out like lambs among wolves tell them, The kingdom of God has come near you. (Luke 9:57-10:9) 3. Pray for God to send His people to the streets, to adopt becoming an intercessor for neighborhoods around them. Prayerwalking will help to gain insight into the values and culture so that prayer and proclamation is done more effectively. Pray these verses: Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.This I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it He is the Lord of heaven and earth. (Acts 17:22-24) 4. Pray for an army of intercessors/laborers who will diligently seek His face knowing that nothing eternal and significant will happen without prayer. Pray these verses: Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. (Heb. 11:6) I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. (Jn. 15:5, 7, HCSB) For they did not take the land by their sword their arm did not bring them victory but by Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your face, for you were pleased with them. You are my King, my God, who ordains victories for Jacob. Through You we drive back our foes; through Your name we trample our enemies. For I do not trust in my bow and my sword does not bring me victory. But You give us victory (Psa. 44:3-7) people. There two counties El Paso and Teller counties that make up the region. Colorado Springs is the 2nd largest city in Colorado. 20% of the population is employed by the military with Fort Carson and four Air Force installations. High Tech, Defense, and tourism are the top three industries in the region. Other population centers in the county include Monument and Palmer Lake to the north; Black Forest to the northeast; Security and Fountain (27,265) near Fort Carson to the south; and Manitou Springs to the west. (1-to-12,000 SBC Church to population ratio. SEND Front Range Coalition: The SEND Front Range Coalition is a pastor and Associational-led partnership supported by the Colorado Baptist General Convention with representatives from all three of the Baptist Associations within the Front Range area. These leaders collaborate to pray for God to birth a church planting movement, bring revival across the land, develop strategies for reaching lostness, pool resources, network, develop training centers and seek partners for reaching Colorado with the Good News of Jesus Christ. These leaders have adopted the following goal: Our goal is to plant churches that plant churches which bring both gospel-telling and gospel-showing into their communities. And, the following vision: We see a day when God creates a movement that causes the spiritual landscape of this city and region to one day reflect the physical landscape of God s incredible creation.
INTERCESSOR INSIGHTS: There are 170 different languages spoken in the Denver Metro area with populations of 800,000 Hispanics, 200,000 African Americans, 180,000 Asians, 30,000 Ethiopians, and 60,000 people from India. Over 1 million people live in what would be termed Multi-housing living situations. 15% of our population was born outside the U.S. Denver is the #1 destination city in the U.S. for Millennials (those born between 1981-2000); many of these are choosing to live in the downtown area. B. Maximum Gospel Impact: Extending the gospel to all people. 1. Pray for our strategies and prayers to be comprehensive in spreading the Good News among people groups. Pray that God will raise up persons of peace who will be advocates of gospel advance and laborers with a call to specific people groups. Pray with the intent of these verses: I will bring them (foreign peoples) to My holy mountain and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations. (Isa. 56:6-7) Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? (MK. 11:17) After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them, and the He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27) After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb! (Rev. 7:9-10) Go; I am sending you out like lambs among wolves Whatever house you enter first say, Peace to this household. If a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house Don t be moving from house to house. When you enter any town and they welcome you, eat the things set before you. Heal the sick who are there, and tell them, The kingdom of God has come near you. (Lk. 10:5-9) 2. Pray that God will strategically place gospel-proclaiming believers in every multi-housing context in Denver, the Front Range, and throughout Colorado. Pray that they will live attractive lives with purpose to demonstrate and proclaim the gospel. I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable, or from teaching it to you in public and from house to house. I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:20-21) I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some. (1 Cor. 19-23) Heavens, sprinkle above, and let the skies shower righteousness. Let the earth open up that salvation sprout and righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it. (Isa. 45:8) 3. Pray for God to compel believers to pursue comprehensive gospel saturation throughout the Front Range and beyond. Pray for a flood of His message of righteousness found in Jesus. After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, strengthening the hearts of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith (Acts 14:21-22)
Then he (Paul) entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things related to the kingdom of God some became hardened he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. (Acts 19:8-10) C. Partnering Churches: Churches that model and generate coalitions of influence. 1. Pray for churches and leaders of churches to develop an Acts 1:8 kingdom perspective. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) In the local church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have called them to. Then, after they had fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3) 2. Pray that God stirs churches to become partners in one or more of the following ways: Supporting Church: Partners with a church plant through praying, participating and/or providing. Sending Church: Takes responsibility for a church plant until the plant is self-sustaining, self-governing and self-propagating. 3. Pray for a coalition of the willing by churches who will adopt a 3-3-3 Strategy. Identify three church planting sites; recruit and train 3 planters for those sites; and, recruit and partner with 3 other partners for the sites. 4. Pray for churches to see size and few resources do not matter but that all can be engaged in church planting. We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God granted to the churches of Macedonia; during a severe testing by affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity. (2 Cor. 8:1-2) For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many acts of thanksgiving to God. Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others. (2 Cor. 9:12-13) 5. Pray for churches to be good examples and stewards of the talents and resources in order to advance God s kingdom and build coalitions of influence on behalf of church planting. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. (Matt. 25:29) It is necessary to help the weak and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, for He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35) We always thank God for all of you As a result, you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For the Lord s message rang out from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place that your faith in God has gone out. (1 Thess. 1:2-8)
D. Planting Healthy Planters who plant Missional Churches: Building healthy leaders who influence exponential Kingdom growth. 1. Pray that they pursue and live out the two great commandments. Love God with all their heart. He said to them, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important commandment. (Matt. 22:37-38) Love others. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Matt. 22:39) 2. Pray for unity in their purpose and in relationships. I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in Me through their message. May they be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. May they also be one in Us, so the world may believe You sent Me. (Jn. 17:20-21) 3. Pray they will discover and maintain the sweetness of the presence of God. My lips will glorify You because Your faithful love is better than life. (Psa. 63:3) Happy are the people whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. (Psa. 84:5) 4. Pray for discernment in what really matters in order to live under God s guidance and His priorities. And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you can determine what really matters and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ. (Phil. 1:9-10) Just one thing: live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. (Phil. 1:27) 5. Pray that they will be faithful to God with a goal to bring glory to Him. Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your faithful love, because of Your truth. (Psa. 115:1) whatever you do, do everything for God s glory. (1 Cor. 10:31) Then I will raise up a faithful priest for Myself. He will do whatever is in My heart and mind. (1 Sam. 2:35) 6. Pray for their love and leadership of their families and to see them as a blessing. The one who lives with integrity is righteous; his children who come after him will be happy. (Prov. 20:7) A man who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. (Prov. 18:22) 7. Pray for strategic investment in disciples who have a kingdom perspective and multiplication mentality. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. (Matt. 28:19-20) You, therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (2 Tim. 2:1-2)
INTERCESSOR INSIGHTS: Research shows there is: - 1 SBC church for every 52,855 persons in Denver proper. - 1 SBC church for every 29,500 persons in the Denver metro area. - 1 SBC church for every 19,397 persons along the Front Range of Colorado. - 6 million or 88% of the population is non-evangelical / Protestant E. Developing Multiplying Churches: Churches training and mobilizing transformational leaders. 1. Pray for pastors and churches to see themselves as training sites for gospel saturation through church planting and other means. I did not shrink back from proclaiming to you anything that was profitable (Acts 20:20) 2. Pray for pastors and churches to see these centers and interns as a worthy kingdom investment of time, facilities, finances, and other resources. We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us As you know, like a father with his own children, we encouraged, comforted, and implored each one of you to walk worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (1 Thess. 1:8-12) 3. Pray God will give these pastors and leaders an ability to see the work of God in their membership and equip them with a clear process of leadership development with a missional, gospel-focused, church planting intent. And He personally gave some to be apostles, some pastors and teachers, for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God s Son From Him the whole body, fitted and knitted together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part. (Eph. 4:11-16) 4. Pray that God will raise up trainers who are competent leaders with a passion and competency to invest in interns and planters for missions success. 5. Pray that new church plants and planters will build reproduction into their DNA from the very beginning. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving them. But He said to them, I must proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God to other towns also, because I was sent for this purpose. (Lk. 4:42-43) 6. Pray for a God-movement: Asking God for something only He can do. Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance. (Psa. 2:8) Look, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me? (Jer. 32:27) Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and wondrous things you do not know. (Jer. 33:3) Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matt. 7:7-8) I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. (Jn. 15:16) Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in you to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20) God shapes the world by prayer. Prayers are deathless. The lips that uttered them may be closed in death, the heart that felt them may have ceased to beat, but the prayers live before God, and God s heart is set on them and prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them; outlive a generation, outlive an age, outlive a world (E.M. Bounds, The Necessity of Prayer).