I feel the most important thing I can share and encourage mothers to do is spend time with the Lord every day. I am a mother too so I understand the demands placed on us! My hope is that these tips will help you find a way to make it a daily priority. I want to challenge you here....if you have 10 min to sit in front of the TV, you have 10 minutes to soak in the Word. I think we don't spend time with the Lord because we aren't prepared to make it happen. So I hope these tips that work for me, work for you!
*Get up before the kids! You will be so glad you did. The quietness is wonderful. I'm not naive to know there aren't struggles that go along with it. Remember, I'm a mom too! This is where you train your children to let you spend time with the Lord (really no matter what time of day you choose to do it). I have an early riser as well but my boys knew at the very early age of 2 when Mom's door was closed, it was not time to wake up. No one gets Mom's attention before 7am has been our rule for years. Did it take consistency to train? YES! Was it easy at times? NO! There are exceptions for sickness, etc. Now the boys can read the time but still try to come in my room before 7am. I simply tell them its not 7am and they need to go busy themselves in their room. My next step is to have them take their own quiet time each morning (a goal for this fall). Another Mom I know does not allow her children to come out of their rooms in the morning until she wakes them. I can go on and on about why its important for us mothers to get up before our children, but I'll save that for another time.
*Have your Bible, journal and encouraging books at your bedside (or whatever location you choose). I have a stand beside my bed that holds all my resources so I can easily get to it each morning but a basket would work just fine if needed too. Now you may prefer to move to a different location and grab a cup of coffee in the morning. For me, I like to stay in bed for my time with the Lord.
*Have a focus for your time. Currently I am reading through the Psalms and Proverbs. I also like to dig into OT stories as well as the NT chapters. I jump around. One thing that is important to me is that I never substitute a devotion in place of simply soaking in the Word. Devotions are great in addition but I'd like to encourage you to dig into the Word. You will be surprised how much the Lord will reveal through reading His words when you simply ask Him too. In addition to scripture I also use The Power of A Praying Wife to pray for Jeff and The Power of A Praying Woman to pray scripture for myself. I also have a card of scriptures to pray for the boys. Then if I have time I'll read a little bit of a devotional or book that will encourage me in my walk with the Lord. I also spend time praying for others the Lord places on my heart and praying for Him to direct my day. However, prayer is always an area I can grow in!
*A little bit is better than nothing. I try not to let this be an item on my to do list but simply a time to be with the Lord. It's hard for my personality to not let it get that way so I change it up every few days and don't read the same thing or do the same thing so that it does not become a thing on my "to do" list but stays fresh and a time of renewal. Some days I spend 10 min and some I get an hour!
*If morning won't simply work for you, pick a time during the day and stick to it. Maybe even a time won't work but a routine you do. Whenever you place the kids down for a nap, you spend time with the Lord, etc.
*Invest in a friendship that challenges you. This woman challenges me and prays for me. With this friend I can talk about anything to and know she will not judge me. She's safe and that's important to me. We are in the same season of mothering with our children the same ages and been married the same number of years. So for this season in my life, I'm thankful for this friend who is teaching me so much. If you don't have a friend like this, pray for one and when the Lord decides to put her in your life, He'll do it.
*When opportunities arise and you feel the Lord leading, take them whether it be Bible Studies, classes offered at your church, etc. I went through a 2 year study of the Life of Christ and it was the best investment of my time studying the Word. Now I am in a new season of life and looking for what the Lord may have in store for me in this area.
I hope you can take these tips and make them work for you as you grow in the Lord. I'd also love to hear what you do that works for you.
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