Set realistic expectations
An uninterrupted 1-hour Bible reading time might not work for you anymore (depending on your current motherhood phase) hence, you need to be prepared to just go with the flow and be willing to keep changing how you do things till it all balances out.
For example, if you sit down to study the bible and pray during baby’s nap and then your baby wakes up from sleep or your toddler needs your attention right at that moment, just go with the flow and don’t get frustrated. You might not always get what you expect and knowing that from the start will help.
Flexibility might also mean getting a few minutes of Bible reading here and there until it finally adds up.
Thanksgiving will do
You’re not always going to have a lot of time to study the word, but staying close to God doesn’t always require long periods of dedicated focus. A five minutes prayer counts a great deal. Give God a quick moment of gratitude whenever you get a chance to do so. Just say “Thank You, God.”- For your baby, your health, all the members of your family, your finances, your current situation, for everything, every day. This will make you feel more in tune with God and overall keep your spiritual life apt in the midst of it all.
Pray around new routines
Being a mum, no doubt means changes to your life routines. For instance, you can no longer afford to wake up at a certain time every morning or keep doing things the way you used to. What you can do is to create new prayer habits around your new routines.
Creating prayer habits around certain events will come to us as a reminder to pray. If you try to pray every time around a particular daily event eventually it will just become natural to do so. E.g, praying before eating or whilst breastfeeding, during laundry, or while in the shower. You might not find a better time.
Read also how to practice self-care as a mum
Audio bible to the rescue
Listening to the Bible messages from preachers you like, will free up your hands to do other things. You can purchase CDs and have them play in high volumes or download directly unto your mobile phone, so it goes with you to the kitchen, bedroom, living room, etc. The only con to going audio is that it can be really easy to tune out, i.e. get distracted and disconnected from the voice, so watch out for it. You can also try listening to the same book or chapter over and over again if you find yourself constantly tuning out. On the whole, remember that it’s not about how much you listen to but how much you’re truly getting out of it that will improve your spiritual life.
Here’s how to pray with and for your children
Always Talk to God
What better time to get intentional about your spiritual life than now that you’re in this ever-spiraling wheel of motherhood? Yes, some women ask for a lot of help and others feel like they need to be able to do it all on their own. Either side you fall on, we could all use God’s help since there are things, He alone can do for us. Imagine having a being as great as God on your side!
The same way you can have moments to tell God thanks, sometimes you need to have moments to say “HELP!” Feeling overwhelmed? Postpartum depression starting to kick in? Baby’s sick? Too tired to think? Relatives driving you crazy? Talk to God and ask him to help you.
Involve your Partner
Ever heard the saying, “two heads are better than one”? Exactly! Make your significant other aware of your intentions to keep maintain/rekindle your spiritual life, even as a mother. Ask that you pray together at set times every day, and sometimes, that he prays over you. Praying and growing together spiritually will be such an important part of your journey as a mother. In addition, if you decide on a certain time every day, then you can rely on him to remind you, should you get overwhelmed in cleaning or wiping, or any other chore this mummy life requires you to do; and him, likewise.
Go on a prayer walk
Have your baby strapped on or secured in a stroller and take a walk. Not only will your body thank you for the exercise and fresh air feels that it really needs, this can be a time just to talk to God and spend time with Him. If you’re a lover of nature, then it couldn’t possibly get more awesome than this; you’ll love a prayer walk.
Talk to Him about anything, tell Him how it makes you feel to be a mother, tell Him what those worries are, tell Him how proud you are of your little baby, how grateful you are for your family and everything in your life basically. When the weather is favourable, learn to squeeze in prayer walks into your routine and thank me later.
