You know how you have those things you need to do that are really important…and you promise yourself you’re gonna get to them..but you never really do? Or you’re never able to devote the time to them that you know you need to?
Do you get what I’m sayin?
That’s how I felt for years with my prayer life. It was something I knew I should be doing more than what I was. And yet for some reason, I could never seem to “do” it like I knew I needed to. I used to blame it on my kids and their neediness. Then I’d blame it on tiredness. And other times I’d just flat out get distracted doing other things.
You may ask why I let this bother me so much. It’s because I’ve seen the power of prayer and how situations in my life have shifted because of it. I’ve seen firsthand how spending time in prayer drastically changes me and influences my decisions. And lastly, I’ve received specific wisdom from the Lord through prayer that I don’t believe I would have had otherwise.
Read: Why Should We Prioritize Prayer?
I have also experienced how it feels to not spend time in prayer. I’ve felt the dryness of being outside of fellowship with the Lord. And most of all, I’ve seen how easy it can be to be snappy with my kiddos when I haven’t been in the Presence of the Lord for a while.
You and I are busy people. There is hardly a moment when we are not needed! And yet we must take action to either build or restore our prayer life. It’s our life source, and our situations and the situations of those we would pray for depend on this.
So how do you get this under control? If it’s by far the most important thing you can do in your day, how do you not let a day slip away without it? Well, here are some helpful things I’ve personally used to make sure that continuous prayer is a part of my daily routine.
Prioritize your perspective
Getting your prayer life off the ground and in a consistent place will require a change in thinking. Prayer is the most important thing you can do during the day besides meditating on truth. And you do some pretty important things! Your day is filled with life-shaping decisions and character-shaping responses.
But nothing can replace prayer. Because nothing compares to the counsel of God.
The best place to start is to understand that prayer is the absolute most important thing you can do as a mom. Prayer connects us to our Father’s heart. It releases things we would not otherwise have. His Presence comforts us and gives us the joy we need daily. And finally, through prayer we see things in our life shift that may not otherwise do so.
Let me give you a personal example. When I only had two children at home, I was really struggling with discipline. I’d cry (literally) and get on my knees before God and ask Him to help me. I remember telling Him that I didn’t understand what I was doing and I couldn’t see my own blind spots.
One day I was praying about this topic and I clearly heard in my spirit the word “consistency.” God knew where I was lacking and what the exact issue was with my parenting style. And since then, I’ve seen drastic changes as I’ve implemented what He said. Could I have figured it out on my own without praying? Possibly. But because of prayer, it became very clear to me personally where I was lacking (and boy, was I lacking!).
I am a huge advocate of continuous learning, so to help you expand your understanding of prayer, I’ve included affiliate links to some of the most impactful books on prayer I’ve read personally. Some of them I’ve read parts of and some of them I’ve read cover to cover, but all of them have impacted my prayer life for the better. Do yourself a favor and invest in your prayer life!
Recognize the tactics of the enemy
It never ceases to amaze me how hard the devil tries to put a wedge in our relationship with God. In trying to keep you from praying, he will say all kinds of things to try to stop you. He may accuse you and tell you that God is mad at you. Or he might say that God is not going to listen to you because you haven’t been praying for a while. His accusations are unlimited!
However, Colossians 1:19-20 says that it pleased God to reconcile all things to Himself through Christ. Through Jesus, we have access not just to a relationship with our Father, but fellowship as well. Now if Jesus went through all that He went through to restore us to a place of fellowship, it makes no sense for us to stand far off and either accuse ourselves or let ourselves be accused.
Remember that the devil, from the beginning of time, is always seeking to accuse you to God and God to you. But these things are just lies, they are not reality. Don’t let him bully you out of a place of fellowship! God is for you-you are an overcomer!
Don’t make it difficult
If you don’t currently have a prayer life and/or you are just starting to build yours up, don’t make it too difficult on yourself. Spending two hours in prayer in the morning may be too much for you, unless you want to commit to that. You may want to try setting aside a solid 10-15 minutes to begin with, and then gradually increase that as you grow in prayer.
I used to have my prayer time in the evenings when everyone else was asleep. Then there were times when I did it during my kids’ nap time. However, even during those times, I’d always wanted it to be in the morning so that it would be the first thing I did when I woke up. That’s what I’ve been able to now, since I’ve made a schedule that works for all of us.
Maybe you don’t really know what to say to God when you talk to Him. Speak from your heart. Start by thanking Him and worshipping Him. Read a Scripture from Psalms and speak to Him about what it says about Him. Cast all of your concerns on Him, because He cares for you 🙂
Make it part of your morning routine
I have more recently put prayer into my morning routine and it has made a huge difference. It really sets the tone for the rest of the day. I’m able to take the day’s concerns before Him, and I become highly impacted by spending time in His presence.
In order to ensure that I do this every morning, I purpose myself to get up early. I’m currently nursing my youngest child, so this means that I have to get to bed at a decent time. Even if I don’t go to bed early, I still get up early because I’ve now developed the habit of getting up to pray and I’m convinced that it’s absolutely the most important thing in my day!
Read: Use Routines to Make Your Days Run Smoothly
Pray throughout your day
If something comes to your mind during the day, just pray right then and there. The Scriptures tell us to pray continuously (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This obviously doesn’t mean that we just pray and never do anything else, but it does give us the freedom to live our lives in continuous fellowship with Him. Plus chances are that you’ll forget something you were supposed to pray for if you wait until later! You’ve got a lot going through your mind everyday!
It’s good to have a certain time that you set aside everyday for uninterrupted prayer. However, you also want to incorporate prayer as a lifestyle into every activity of your day. God loves your fellowship-He paid for it!
I look forward to hearing testimonies of how these tips have helped you strengthen your prayer life. If you have any others you’d like to add, write them in the comment box below!
Related Posts:
How to Make a Schedule That Works
Why Should We Prioritize Prayer?
3 Ways to Start Your Family’s Morning Right
Thank you!! This was exactly what I was looking for in the way of practical advice for making time for prayer even as a busy mom. It’s a struggle, but it’s worth it!!