Guest Post by Lindsey Bell
Let’s be honest. Quiet is something that’s hard to come by as a mom.
I have two boys, and they are on the go from the moment they wake up until the moment they crash in their beds at night. So for me, finding quiet time with God has been…how should I word it…challenging.
But there are a few things that have helped.
1. Change your expectations.
I had great (and long) quiet times with God BC (before children). That all changed the day I brought home our first child from the hospital.
My quiet time does not look the same as it did before I had kids. And neither will yours.
Instead of trying to recreate the magic you had before, change your expectations. Stop expecting to have 30 minutes of uninterrupted time with Jesus, and stop expecting the entire house to be quiet as you study (unless of course you plan to do this in the middle of the night).
Instead, learn to commune with God in the midst of the craziness.
2. Get creative.
Because your time with God is going to look different than it did before, you might have to get creative as you think of ways to make it happen in your household.
Here are a few possible ways to find time with God throughout your day:
Get up early and spend time with God before your family awakens.
Have quiet time with God right when your husband gets home from work. (You get a break from the kids and time with God!)
Use the first few minutes of nap time to commune with God.
Read your Bible as you dry your hair. The hairdryer will block out the sounds of little ones in the other room. (Just make sure your kids are safe and can’t break anything before you begin!)
Pray as you wash the dishes, do the laundry, or run errands.
Listen to praise music throughout the day.
Turn your car into a prayer closet (but keep your eyes open!)
Have family devotions with your children every night before bed.
Make Bible reading a part of your bedtime routine. (Better yet, read the Bible and pray with your husband each night.)
Put your multi-tasking ability to good use as you talk to the Lord in the midst of your daily chores.
3. Do what works for you.
My days go much smoother if I spend time with the Lord in the morning. My attitude is much better. And most days, this works for us. I’m able to get up before the rest of the family and read my Bible.
But this might not work for you. And that’s okay. If you’re not able to read your Bible in the morning, don’t beat yourself up about it. Instead, find a time that works well with your family.
God doesn’t require us to read our Bibles at certain times of day, so we shouldn’t put that burden on ourselves either.
4. Look at your time-wasters.
How many of us say we don’t have time for God, but then find time for Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, television, or reading? (Ouch, huh?)
If you have time for your phone, you have time for God.
5. Get accountability.
One great way to make quiet times happen is to have an accountability partner or group. Check in with each other once a week to hold each other accountable. Ask each other these questions or ones that are similar:
- How many days this week have you read your Bible?
- How many days this week have you spent time in prayer?
- What is God teaching you this week?
Our time with God before kids was quiet, long, and peaceful. Now, it’s probably not quiet (at least not for long), probably pretty short, and most-likely not super-peaceful.
But you know what? It can still be just as life-changing.
Let’s Talk: How do you find time for God in your busiest seasons as a mother? Leave a comment to be entered to win a gift card from Lindsey for her blog tour contest!
This post is part of a Lindsey’s blog tour for Searching for Sanity, her new parenting devotional. You can read other posts in this tour by going to her blog.
About Lindsey Bell:
Lindsey Bell is the author of Searching for Sanity, a new parenting devotional. She’s also a stay-at-home mother of two, minister’s wife, avid reader, and chocolate lover. You can find Lindsey online at any of the following locations: Her blog, Her website, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.
About Searching for Sanity:
Have you ever looked at your beloved children and wondered, what in the world am I doing? Why did God trust me—of all people—to raise them?
Motherhood is the most difficult job many of us will ever take. Searching for Sanity offers moms an opportunity to take a breath, dig into the Word, and learn from parents of the past. In short devotions designed for busy moms, this book uses the parents of the Bible—both the good and the bad—to inspire today’s mothers.
