In the spring everything kicks into high gear growing. Our lawn needs mowing the day after it is mowed, all the fruit trees bud out and get leaves in a week, and people start planting their gardens.

As a follower of Jesus I have noticed that I have seasons of growth, growth in character and in devotion to Jesus. It isn’t as predictable or as cyclical as spring time growth, but it is observable and fairly easy to come to a conclusion on the cause.

Probably the most radical growth in my life came at the first Pastor’s Prayer Summit led by Joe Aldrich at Cannon Beach in February of 1989. Not only did I grow during the five days of the Prayer Summit, but my prayer life radically changed so that my growth has been at an increased rate ever since.

One of the normal things that happens to people is that they cool off and drift away from radical commitments and life change. Knowing myself, I am sure that is what would have happened to me, but the corporate prayer events at JBC have been very powerful re-energizers for me. In one week we start our “Five Days of Prayer” where we pray from 5 to 10 am and 5 to 10 pm Monday through Friday. I will pray for 8 hours each day, and will be very blessed by the time spent in the prayer room with all the others that choose to come.