Suicide is the second highest cause of premature death among those aged 10-34, and Wyoming, New Mexico, Montana and Colorado lead the nation in deaths by suicide, according to the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control.

Landon Hairgrove, a youth pastor in Fort Collins, Colorado, fasted all day and then led intercessors Sunday night in praying for an end to suicides in his county, which reported 83 cases in 2016, double the national rate of 13.36 per 100,000 people.

"I believe there is a spirit that's attacking this region, and we're taking down that stronghold through worship and intercession," said Hairgrove, recalling a suicide death of a fifth-grader in 2015 that still rocks the church he now serves.

"But we also want to release identities over our kids. The only thing that's going to break suicide, depression, anxiety and all of that is the knowledge of the Savior who gave Himself up on a cross to offer eternal life. (Photo Credit: God Reports)

"John 10:10 says the devil came to kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly," said Hairgrove, a graduate of Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas.

The day of fasting and evening of prayer at Vintage City Church, which mourned the fifth-grade boy over a year ago, was the second round in the battle against suicide organized by a youth pastor in northern Colorado.

Isaiah Hupp, a middle school pastor in Loveland, organized the first suicide awareness program in January after conducting a painful funeral ceremony for family and friends of a victim.

The two pastors keep spiritual watch over young people, primarily, in Larimer County, where the suicide rate is 25 per 100,000 people, surpassing the state average of 19.5.

Supporting the pastors in the battle, intercessors and revivalists who travel to churches, businesses and homes to pray turned out once again on Sunday to wage warfare against suicide which, they believe, is primarily a spiritual issue.

According to a CDC report, increases in suicide rates occurred for both males and females in all but the oldest age group (75 and over). Through 2014, the percent increases in rates were greatest for females aged 10-14 and for males aged 45-64.

Wyoming is the perennial leader in suicide across the nation.

Suicide – even among Christians – is prevalent in the Rocky Mountain region where other pastors have organized similar fasting and prayer events against it.

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