“In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”
Psalm 5:3
We all know prayer is an important part of a Christian’s life, but how do we do it when our families seem to have constant demands on our time? Moms should not stop praying, but we often have difficulty finding time for uninterrupted prayer. I am learning to let go of what I thought “prayer time” or “quiet time” looked like. When I was young, I was very disciplined and had consistent time reading my Bible, memorizing verses, and praying daily. While this provided me with an excellent foundation, I learned that my spiritual journey could change, along with my circumstances.
There is not just one way to connect with God. We are each unique and God speaks to each of us uniquely, in different ways at different points in our lives. Before becoming a mom, my prayer time was very structured and predictable. As my responsibilities grew, prayer time looked more like thinking about scripture while driving in my car, praying while rocking a child, or finding encouragement in children’s Bible story books and songs. Letting go of what I thought prayer time should look like, freed me to encounter God in new ways, in the everyday things.
More recently, I have been approaching prayer with no list or formula for the “right” way to pray. I try to come open-handed, saying, “God, what do you have for me today?” I usually do this while walking because my mind seems less distracted than if I am sitting. It is very freeing to simply ask God what He wants to show me and then watch eagerly for His movement. On a recent walk I tried this method, and as I walked, I was thinking, “God, the world just seems so heavy right now.” I felt God immediately answer, “Yes, Love. It has always been heavy, but I have always been in control.” Wow! If I had been going through my list of prayer requests, I might have missed this truth from Him! There is definitely value in praying for specific people and circumstances, but sometimes, just being with God and asking what He has for you, is enough.
Challenge: Approach your prayer time this week with no list. Just, “What do you have for me today?”
Rebecca Steinbach
“In the Trenches” Contributing Writer
Wife, Mother of 3 girls, and avid travel planner!