About a month ago, my friend, Rick Kirchoff pointed me to a man whom challenged himself to stay in constant contact with God. This man’s name is Frank Laubach. He is also known for his educational work while in the Philippines.
While I am doing poorly with the idea of staying in constant contact with God, I am already experiences some changes in my life that I believe originate from this endeavor. I think I’ll with hold what those feelings are for now.
I tend to get carried away with myself at times. Later, I realize I was just full of myself so I’ll just say I’m working on this idea for now. I’m looking for others to take on this challenge but not finding many to take it on. I think they may dismiss it as impossible but I disagree. I know it is possible to think about two things at once. But at times it is not easy. Perhaps at times it is not possible for me but with training maybe I will find what was impossible one day to be possible another day.
Bestselling Products Marketing Books on Amazon
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
Tagged with: Constant Contact with God • Faith and Christianity • Frank Laubach • God
Filed under: Faith and Christianity • Frank Laubach
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I recently read Practicing the Presence of God and came across this post. How you are doing with staying in contact with God?
Hello Attie!
I am unsure as to how well I’m doing. I think I’m doing horrible but I may be doing better than I realize. It certainly isn’t at the quality i would like it to be. I think the contact is pretty constant but mostly in my subconscious. I saw that because, I often think of Him when I didn’t intend too. When I foul up, I think of Him. Maybe I wouldn’t foul up so much if I was doing a good job of thinking of Him.
I need work and lots of it I think. :) I haven’t give up but it isn’t going as well as I had hoped either! Hope you’ll come around often.
I haven’t been able to get any of his books or books about Laubach. I’m sure that would help a great deal.
Over the past 2 years I have been trying the same experiment. I read the book Pracicing His Presence. Also the book by Brother Lawrence of the same name. Both lead me to believe that was how Christ lived, and relied on his Father. As I study the bible I try to think and picture those men of God who must have been constantly allowing God to guide and drive them. David, Noah, Moses, Daniel, Paul the apostles, the prophets. As they lived life in trials and triumphs they must have been thinking and talking to Him all the time. It isn’t easy and I fail daily. Any day that I think of Him more than the previous is a triumph. I do feel God is leading and letting me know this is what He wants. I’m a nurse who works with Cancer pts. As I work by their sides, doing chemo, I’m asking: God, What do you want me to do? What do you want me to say? I ask Him: Please help me not to hurt, tell me which veins to use? When I’m frustrated with kids or my husband I am praying in my mind. Please give me words or shut me up. I’m glad to here of someone else who doesn’t think I’m crazy talking to myself. Trying to grow with God;s presence.
been able to keep such close contact.
Hi Missi!
I would like to get that book. Two people in a row now have mentioned it. I have been planning to get a book on the subject, can’t remember if that was the title I was looking at.
I need a Kindle so I can get more books but then, not all books are not available via Kindle.
Rebuilding my life and not much room for extras right now. Not even the book. Having things shipped to the Philippines makes it rather expensive. :(
We are on the right track.
I am convinced that God wants us to be in constant contact with Him, that there is a way to be in a continual state of communion with the Holy Spirit. Scripture uses words like “always,” “abide,” “in all things,” “in everything,” and so on. I believe the Bible does not use these words and phrases carelessly the way people do. There is a way to live in which our contact with God is constant. Frank Laubach’s writings describe a process that requires more human exertion than I thought it would — I figure the Holy Spirit changes us in some way to accomplish what human beings cannot do. If we seek with our whole hearts, God will give us the desires of our hearts, and in our cases it sounds like that is an abiding close relationship with Jesus in which we truly thirst for Him to be the Lord of our entire lives.
Scott, I think the phrase of giving us the desires of our heart is often taken out of context. God does not promise us a rose garden, His closest followers often suffered a great deal. Instead He told us that his grace will be sufficient.
If we were able to be prefect then the desires of our heart would likely be equal to His will.
I know people that think if they have enough faith that God will give them a Cadillac. Even Jesus got only a single donkey to ride into town too.
Many of the prosperity ministers mean well but they are teaching selfishness in my mind. Life happens and there will be hard times. God is more concerned with that is in our hearts than he is in what we drive.
However, to be in constant contact would be a really nice thing. I think He’s trying to be in constant contact with us. We have to train to listen. We have to practice to listen. I know a man in his 60′s that been working on it since his 20′s. I’ve also seen him do some pretty amazing things. I’m convinced he does it by listening.
I wish I was in tune with God that way. I have to keep working on it.
I know most people don’t believe what I do but I think it makes a lot of sense. It makes the whole concept of pain and suffering fit in with a loving God that would never bring harm onto his children and after the birth of Christ, there is no such harm coming from God. Nor is there anything about God providing anyone with riches after Christ birth. Rewards come in a different form and those are the rewards I seek. Seeking those bring me much peace.
Hi, just thought I’d check back in. I’m like your friend, its been years and I don’t feel like I have the knack yet. Constant contact with God is hard for us humans. Even so I keep on trying. As I do, I feel, I see a broader side to life. Petty things mean less. You are right about God’s grace being sufficient. As I see it, God doesn’t owe me anything. He blesses me, even though I don’t deserve it, with another day. I, sure as heck, think I should be asking him
what He wants me to do with it, and let him lead. Seems like when I really let Him be the lead, I say the right things at the right time. I happen into opportunities or fixes that He leads me through.
I get God appointments that come out of the blue. I also feel the warnings or observe things in myself I know I need to change. May God bless you with your Practicing the Presence.
Hi Missi,
God appointments? What do you mean?
Most of the time these days, I don’t try to make an assesment of where things come from. I never attribute negatives to God but even the good things I don’t attribute to God ass I’ve learned the hard way that often what I think was God sent as it makes me happy turns out to be not such a good thing and more like it came from Satan himself! :)
Recently though, during some troubled times the name Steven kept popping up. Not the same spelling but I think the meaning was clear. I think it was God telling me to turn to him and I can get through the worst of things and still be happy. Heck Stephen pulled it off and I didn’t even have to die. :)
My days are filled to the brim with the hamster wheel of life. Like so many of my friends and aqaintences, life happens and we are swept along with the current. How I feel the God appt work is: I give him my day from the get go in am. Then I continue the in my mind interchange back and forth as I work, drive, eat and talk through out the day. I consider each pt I see a God appt. We may not talk God but I am thinking to God’ “tell me what to say to this person”. I don’t always feel I connect with each person closely but I do feel Im giving my best. I see that the bad that comes, and He doesn’t give me words, doesn’t mean He isn’t working in the situation. I fail miserably sometimes with the closest relationships I have. There, I feel like I go more on learned bad responses. In these close relationships, I need God the most to intervene, but I go it alone. Doing the same stupid things out of bad habit. All I know is I still got to pray and say forgive me and get back on it again. The world for me right now is very depressing with health, family issues and illnesses, divorce, empty nest, finances. Its all there to hinder my relationship with God. He promises He is there. He promised He loves me. I choose to keep practicing his presence.
Hi Missi!
Good for you. Yes he is there. Sounds like you’re doing a better job than I am at trying to listen. Perhaps you should try even harder. Maybe we should all try harder to listen. I am pretty self centered and I don’t think I’m alone in that. Most of us are. That self centeredness makes it hard for us to hear. Maybe God talks even more to you than you realize.
The hardest thing for me to learn about my faith was that it didn’t
mean things would be good. I don’t belive God brings all these hardships on us. Yes, we usually learn pretty well from the things that make us feel bad. And yes we do keep doing the same things we’ve always done.
We can change those things to some extent but that takes a lot of effort, a trusted mentor comes in handy then. A minister or therapist or both usually works good. Though I don’t know about therapist in the Philippines if that’s where you are from.
You are who you are, most of it genetic with a ton of life poured on top of those genes. I think God understands our weaknesses far better than we give him credit for. I think he forgives us for them before we even do it.
I think just as you wish the best for your children, if you have them that’s what God wants for us. The better we are at listening, the better we follow His plan.
Even the most faithful person I know struggles with this. He listens better than I do, I’m sure.
And we do get caught up and swept down the river of life. We spend so much time trying tto control the flow and so much of it is outside of our control.
Don’t be so hard on yourself and yes, I have no doubt He is there. I don’t know anyone less deserving than myself and I know He is there. Not on that, He thinks I’m a miracle and He thinks you are too.
Try to worry less, easier said than done, I know.
Hi Rusty,
Like most humans you are having a hard time at the game of life. I know I have, some years worst than others. One day in December of 1994 as I stopped to pray I said to God “Father, whatever it takes to become closer to you…I am ready for that now.” The next Febuary my back broke while I was asleep in bed. Never worked again. Lost everything. I mean everything. You know what? I have no one to lean on but Jesus. How do I find joy in my life? From the Word. Forget other men’s books. Just trash, nothing but trash. Get yourself a good King James Version of the English Bible. Forget the other versions and make sure the KJV you get isn’t full of some mans notes. Simple 10 or 15 dollar Bible. Then read it…everyday. I spend 45 to 60 minutes a day reading God’s Word. I read all 150 Psalms and all 30 or 31 Proverbs every month. Plus I have a reading plan from Sword of the Lord on getting through the entire Bible in 365 days. You know what? Somedays that is NOT enough reading. I get so excited at times I just keep on reading. Then after doing that for the next 20 years or so God will reveal Himself to you. That is when you bang your head with your hand and say “What took me so long.” You will just smile and give thanks and say “Yes Lord” then then next time the doctor visits are getting too many or too costly. Who cares? God loves me, and that turns out to be more than enough. Just one book Rusty, make sure it is the King James Version. The others come from a Greek that is garbage.
Warmly In Christ,
Rev. Dr. E. Gary Wigle
Senior Pastor (retired)
CyberSpace Community Church
webmaster of
His Place
editor of
Digital Angel
63 years old and still a child of the King, still learning. Want to talk? Anytime. Hope to be in Tagum City next year.
Hi Gary!
Thanks for your input.
I find the game of life to be good, pretty much whatever comes my way. I’ve not had a spontaneous breaking back but I may have been thrown a few more bumps in the road than most. I probably bring it on myself but I am who I am with all the pluses and negatives that brings.
Took me a while to understand, most of us are fatally flawed and just trying to get through life the best we can.
Having a strong foundation with Christ as the corner stone is critical for my taking life, without taking myself so serious.
I might need some of those foot notes where you don’t. There is no doctorate in my past. Life is good for me, very good.
I hope you’ll stop by and offer suggestions often. Hope you too have peace no matter what the situation.