“CONSTANT CONTACT” concept explained

Hi fellow brothers and sisters in the family of God. Isn’t it wonderful how God is calling us to be literal, real sons and daughters of God?  

You are all probably aware that the Bible several times says we must “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and “Pray always”.  I’ll read those shortly.  Hasn’t that intrigued you?  Always? Pray always? But you have other things to do. You have to get ready to go to work. Then drive to work. Plus you have to do your chores around house. You have assignments and things to read – how can we possibly “pray without ceasing”?  

And yes, I pray to our Father in heaven, but also to the Son of God. Stephen did in his dying moments, “Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. Lord, do not charge them with this sin.”  (Acts 7:59-60)  Of course mostly I pray to my father, but of course we can pray to Jesus too. A bride (us?) does not just speak to the Fiancé’s father, but to the Fiancé himself. Of COURSE. 

Some of you admit you find it hard to pray anyway, period. You’ve told me you don’t know what to say after a few minutes.  This talk today may help those of you who are like that.

On top of that, we find ourselves constantly fighting temptation and sin. I hope we are, anyway. And constantly trying to find ways to do good, to do the right thing, to live obediently – but our Adversary is constantly trying to distract and tempt us to look at the allure or pleasures of sin for the moment (Heb 11:24-25). How do we fight him? We hopefully have the Holy Spirit, but how do we harness the power of the Holy Spirit to defeat our Adversary?

I take heart from the promise that “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). God the Father and Jesus dwell in us, by the Holy Spirit. Study the sermons on “What is the Holy Spirit?”

In my first half of 2023 sermons, I’ve often referred to something I’m finding to work phenomenally for me, when I do it!  Sometimes I forget to do it because it’s a relatively new concept for me. So it’s not perfect because I don’t work it perfectly yet myself, but notable. It works when I do it faithfully. 

I have called it “constant contact” or even “frequent contact”. This definitely helps me “walk in the spirit” more (Galatians 5:16).  Paul tells us that if we walk in the spirit we won't do the works of the flesh. I’ll do another talk this year with more detail about walking in the spirit and even praying in the spirit as Paul says. 

But today, I just want to explain and clarify what I mean by the expression “constant contact”. Some of you have asked me to explain how it works, so here we go.  Some of you may well have been doing something similar to this already for many years. I did too, but not to this extent.

The foundation of Constant Contact concept is based on these:

** We are to pray constantly, always…

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 
“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Luke 18:1

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.”

Luke 21:36

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

We have other things we must be doing in any normal life, so how do we pray without ceasing, and how do we pray constantly?

This is where Constant Contact (CC) comes in. I found myself not nearly as close and strong as I felt I should be as a child of God, as a minister – and it scared me. Our time for victorious salvation – or defeat – is NOW.

Those of us who have been called now, listen: This is our only chance, folks – this lifetime, if God has opened your mind to his way and truths and especially if He’s give you His Spirit and divine nature. The key is to draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

CONSTANT CONTACT DEFINED

So end of last year – 2022-- I set aside a day to fast and seek God deeply so I could be stronger than I was feeling. And that’s also when I started this constant contact. And I’ve got to say, when I do it a lot, it’s like “walking in the spirit” all day and I’ve found, when I do it consistently and right, my thoughts and actions are more godly and more righteous and more victorious.

I don’t think this will be unique to me. Please listen carefully and try this.

Hallelujah, praise God, to HIS glory and honor.  So it started with fasting and repentance and much more contact with God. This was where my 2-part repentance sermons also had their genesis. 

Here’s what CC is:  My goal is to make frequent or even constant contact with God and Jesus Christ in short bursts of prayers throughout the day. I mean easily 10-20 or 30 times each day. I might do it 3x while doing these notes. I don’t mean the longer prayers on my knees by my bed morning and evening. I do it also as I lay my head on my pillow.

I also find it easier and more effective to have frequent short topics and prayers with God rather than a much longer prayers by my bed. Long prayers are overrated anyway. Some of the most effective prayers in the Bible are the short prayers like when Jesus resurrected Lazarus. Or Elijah’s prayer on Mt Carmel when fire from heaven came down.

Those of you who lead in prayer publicly, remember our Lord’s admonition to keep your prayers short.  You’re not there to impress anyone.

Matthew 23:11

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”

Constant Contact does NOT replace the longer, more formal prayers I hope you’re having daily.  Constant contact is throughout the day in short bursts of prayers that are usually only 30 seconds to 1-2 minutes long.  If you were beside me you’d think I was whispering to myself.

Even if you’re at work, when you take breaks, or while sitting at your desk, or walking your dog, or driving your truck – turn the noise off (radio) and just talk to God briefly but frequently. Gardening, doing dishes, going for walks – do these short bursts.

So that’s what CC is:  many short bursts of prayer and contact with God throughout the day. Twenty or more times a day. 

Some of you are thinking that “Hey, for many years now I’ve spoken and prayed to God many times throughout each day”.  That’s wonderful. I’ve always done that too. But now instead of random haphazardly praying/talking to Father, now it’s part of a concentrated effort on my part to stay attached to our Father and Yeshua by doing this 20-30x a day. Every day.

MORE reasons to do Constant Contact

Here are a few more reasons why we NEED to do this and then I’ll share some examples of what I say in these short bursts of prayer. 

** Without Yeshua/Jesus living his resurrection life in us, without us abiding in Christ, we can do NOTHING.  So we must stay in contact.

John 15:1-6

"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.  2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.  3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.  4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 

5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

I’ve discussed this many times. Jesus Christ is the VINE. We are the branches on the vine that HE is.  If we stay attached/abiding with him, we shall bear much fruit. But if we don’t stay attached, we wither up and die and are burned in the fire.  He says without Him we can do nothing spiritually.

Remember how often we read of Yeshua getting up early to pray, or sending his disciples on ahead of him as he plans to walk across the lake and catch up.

Jesus set that example of a lot of prayer, because he himself said that without Father in Heaven, He too, could do nothing.  John 5:19. Even HE said that!

If our fruit is bad, we need to let the self die and ask to be grafted on to the TRUE VINE Yeshua.  We have to make the tree good (Matthew 12:33) in Christ.

** Our new lives in Christ are not supposed to be just trying to fix up and repair our old nature, but to replace our old self with the life of Jesus Christ.   “I no longer live…” – Gal. 2:20-21; Col. 3:3-4. 

**  If we “walk in the spirit” we will not fulfill the desires of the fleshly nature we all have (Gal. 5:16).  We also have GOD’S own divine nature by His Holy Spirit.  2 Pet. 1:4.  Our task is to ACTIVATE God’s nature in us.

EXAMPLES of What to Say

What do I bring up in these short bursts? What do I say and talk about?

** Thanksgiving and praise for all things, even what seem like bad things as I remind myself in these short prayers that everything works together for good (Romans 8:28).

I thank God for Jesus Christ dying for my sins and living for my eternal life (Rom 5:10). I praise him for the Holy Spirit and ask for more, always for more, much more. I thank him for my wife and family. For the birds and flowers and the beautiful sky and clouds and for rain and for sunshine.

** I do supplication prayer asking for God’s mercy and healing for many of you, throughout the day. I hope you’re doing it for me too and my issues. And some of you need jobs, need money, or want a spouse, or….

** Remember the Laodiceans at the end of Revelation 3? And how Jesus is OUTSIDE knocking on the door and he’s urging them to let him in?  So I frequently say, “Yeshua, please come into my life and BE my life. I’m opening the door of my heart to you. Please come in. Please speak to me. Please guide me and rebuke me when I’m heading the wrong way. Please open doors and shut doors according to your will. Please teach me how to make you my Lord and Savior fully. Please help me be more zealous for you.” 

** Of course, I would hope we frequently pray for more wisdom and understanding and more of the Holy Spirit to guide us and to speak to you. Jesus recommended that, remember? (Luke 11:13). Also ask for Jesus to help you find him, and come to know HIM personally. Let God see you are diligently seeking him and want to find him! Claim the promise that whoever diligently seeks after God will find him. Constant Contact does that.

** Sometimes my constant contact prayers are pleas for my Savior to continue to save me, to help me beat temptations I’m facing. Jesus is not just our savior once, but every day!  He was tempted in all things, yet without sin (Heb 4:15).  I tell God what I’m going thru (though he already knows) and how much I desperately need his help to get through this day without giving in to any sin. Sometimes these short prayers are very heart-wrenching, as I don’t want to sin.

Remember we don’t fight against flesh and blood but spirits in high places (Eph 6:12). Sometimes I even say, “Father, Jesus, if the Adversary and his evil spirits in high places are trying to make me fall in sin, please – in Jesus’ name, REBUKE them, keep them away, and give me the victory in Yeshua, the commander of the armies of the Lord of Hosts!”

Go ahead, ASK for help. Ask him to help you win against sin and evil! 

** My constant contacts with God include many times of repentance, including for going too far with a temptation. The temptation is not the sin, as even Jesus was tempted and tried in ALL THINGS, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). But if we go too far with the temptation, then the thoughts can become sin. So pray, “Deliver me from the evil one. Give me power to defeat all that’s wrong in me”.

** I pray for the pastors and brethren in Africa I work with and wherever else God is bringing in people through Light on the Rock or other venues. Growth has been phenomenal, by the way.

And I ask him to bless our webmaster Scott Doucet and his wife Brandie, for all the countless hours they put into giving us all the ability to use Light on the Rock. I pray God will also BLESS all of you who ever send any donations that we do appreciate and need so badly here at Light on the Rock. It’s just a handful of people right now but I hope more of you will feel inspired to help us out, if you're being fed good solid spiritual food here. 

** I pray for his intervention in problems in my life and thank him in advance for his answers, for I know he’s already working behind the scenes long before I’m aware of it.

**I ask for more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and for the FRUIT of the Holy Spirit. The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit, AND the greatest fruit – is LOVE. Remember? 1 Cor. 13:13 – “Faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love (Charity)”.  How often do you pray for more love? Or do you pray more often for – especially if you’re a minister -- miracles, healing, speaking in tongues, and so on?  In 1 Cor. 14:1-6, Paul explains it’s better to speak (or prophesy) in plain English, so to speak, than in a tongue that nobody understands.

** sometimes my constant contact moment might simply be reciting the Lord’s prayer and I update it to our present situation. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” And yes, by the way, God is not stuck in old KJV English!  Or if I’m outside in the garden, I might put on some inspiring praise or worship songs. Some of them really put you into the right mood.

** I ask God for help with the sermons and blogs I’m working on. And I hope some of you pray for my inspiration too.

** I pray for my children and loved ones to have a walk with Christ and that they may be saved. I pray for their protection – physically and spiritually. Pray they are protected as they drive. Pray they are safe from evil doers and violent people. And I praise God for my wonderful wife.

** Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Read Psalm 122:6-8.

** Pray for our national and local leaders, like them or not. We’re told to pray for them and honor them.

** I often ask my God to help me live more in his will, and not mine. 1 Peter 4:1-2.  I might even say, “Lord, you are holy. Peter tells us to be holy, for you are holy. Please help me be holy – set apart for your use; different.” 

I could go on and on, but especially those of you who struggle with what to say, maybe print out these points and use them yourself. 

**  You can also speak God’s word back to him. If you’ve found a powerful verse that speaks to you, us that verse back to God and ask him to show you how to use that instruction in your life. You can also “pray the Psalms”  -- like Psalm 18:1 – “I love you, LORD my strength”. 

You get the idea I’m sure. I’m finding it very, very effective in battling wrong thoughts and temptations  -- as long as I faithfully do this 20-25 times a day, every day.  I’m finding I’m not nearly as tempted as before if I keep my Constant Contact program up! I find I’m stronger on these days than usual. The spirit is willing, but flesh is weak, remember.

Anyway, I hope that helps. Share this with others and let me know what you think. This means making the short bursts of prayer at least 10x a day, and shoot for 20x a day or more… just 1-2 minute short prayers.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 
“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”