Have you ever wondered how other Mums, the ones that you know, that you go to playgroup with, or who have older kids just about to finish school, or even who’ve moved out of home, how they spent time with God and grew those years?  It looks so different when you have a young child, and maybe the routine has gone out the window. I’m learning how Mums spend time with God looks different, and there’s no right or wrong way . . .

(Thanks Peta Masih for the photo)

 

I decided to pose these 2 questions on my facebook wall and see who responded, and then I also chased a few extra Mums down who I really wanted to hear from, who bear beautiful fruit in their lives.

1. How you are currently spending time with God each day, eg do you have a routine, snatched prayers, a chapter a day, a devotional you love, whatever.
2. Is there anything God is challenging you to change about your time with Him?

 

I’ll answer these because I’ve often posted about how I spend time, or how I want to spend time when I get excited about starting a new routine.

So what I’m currently doing is usually reading a chapter from a book during Miss 2s sleep time which I find helps get me focused, and I start praying for whatever comes to my mind. After this I’m usually inspired to write, or I think of something I need to be doing.

 

There are a few things I want to do, like Alice, I want to start reading a chapter from the Bible before I get up, and if Miss 2 is awake, read it to her.  I also want to then make a list for the day and pray over it as was suggested by one blog.  I did this one day and it made a huge difference.

Next, like Michelle, I’m trying to start my morning with praise by putting on some music while I make my bed and dance with Miss 2 who loves dancing.  We do a lot of dancing through the day because I’m a dance teacher but declaring out loud God’s promises to an upbeat song, especially in the face of bad news is powerful.  I love Kari Jobe’s Majestic CD and IHOP’s JOY cd.  God has really been talking to me about what Joy is, and somebody recently prayed over me that I would become the most joyful person I know.  That inspired me to study every occurence of the word JOY in the Strong’s concordance and you can grab the free printable here.

Also like Michelle, my friend who is asking the question, ‘What does it look like in my home as it is in heaven’, I’m trying to train myself to think about someone to pray for when I have a spare second instead of entertaining myself with social media.

I’m also trying to incorporate some actual Bible Study in here somewhere, as studying Joy has really cemented in me what Joy really is and helped me a lot, and because I want to be a woman of the Word, because the Word is living and active and powerful, I need to start turning on the audio version I have on my phone at night.

I found this link today with a little Bible Study on Proverbs, which is beautiful.

 

As you can see, I’ve been really inspired by the thoughts of my friends, and I would love you to be too, so I’m going to stop and let you read the gold below.

 

I pull out my Bible app to try and read one chapter while I’m breastfeeding, and then I like to meditate on that verse until I get back to the reading the next day or in a few days.  Sometimes it’s about prioritising this instead of clearing the counter from lunch or folding the washing, but I’m always talking to God throughout the day, not just relegating one tiny corner of the day and that’s how our relationship grows.  Lorinda ~ Mum to 6 yod, 3 yod and 1 yod.

I spend a lot of time in worship which Olla enjoys. I have my keyboard and guitar set up in the lounge room instead of a tv. Otherwise my personal time in the word or devotions is normally done in Ollas morning nap .   Kristy-Lea ~ Mum to 2 yod and 1 yod.

 

 

The Lord’s specialty with me is late at night or in the wee hours. This verse pretty much sums it up: “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.” Psalm 16:7 Other than that, He is constantly whispering in my ear, in the midst of the mundane, as mentioned above. I get some of the most amazing revelations while I have my hands wet – washing up, washing, in the shower, washing little people. Need to find a waterproof notebook and pen! Kath ~ Mum to 3 big girls and 2 little girls 7 & 3

What encouraged me was a verse in Isaiah “He gently leads those with young” it took the guilt/disappointment out of not spending an hour a day with God. But I could spend 15 minutes a day with God, I grew a great deal and heard God speak – not often during my quiet time but usually while washing dishes! Suzy ~ Mum and Grandmother

 

So much gold here above! Just would add that my one solid discipline (unless there was a baby in the family) was that I would not get out of bed until I had read the Word & prayed. This might have meant waking up earlier in order to beat the little ones up, but more importantly, also training them that this was a very important time for Mum & they could come in & see me & have big good morning hugs, but then not to interrupt until I came out.  Alice ~ Mum to 17,15,12 & 10yod

With a 6 month old that wakes up somewhere between 4:30am and 5am most days (and still wakes for a feed during the night too), I don’t worry about getting up early to spend time alone with God. I do pray with the children, and read a chapter or so of the bible each school day with them. But I find all the pre-motherhood years of walking with God, reading His word and bible college have really been like a spiritual storehouse in me…so that in this season where there’s not a lot of time to myself, I can still have His word in me and the character that’s been built up over the years by Him to sustain me. But that doesn’t mean I’m just living off the past experiences with God. He speaks to me and some days that’s what keeps me going!

A real help to us all this year has been reading some 19th century Christian historical fiction. The children are getting not just history lessons, but training in character, Godliness, love and life with God. I’ve been amazed how many times the book we’re reading together has really spoken to me heart and been an answer to prayer or a huge encouragement for the day.

The best series in this respect has been the Life Of Faith Series by Mission City Press.

I’ve also found that reading the biographies of heroes of the faith, especially missionaries, to the children has made a big impact on them and their faith. Speaking the wonderous works of God to them is faith building and uplifting. And they do remember these stories and apply that same faith to their own lives. I’ve had some of them try to raise dead pets like chooks from the dead, because they know God can do it! Racheal ~ Mum to 10,9,7,5,3 & 9month old.

For a while, I had good success with spending just the first 15 minutes of nap time every single day. Now that I don’t have babies getting me up in the night, I’m switching back to the early mornings but it’s a real struggle. I love the book “Tender Mercies for a Mother’s Soul” By Angela Thomas for inspiration on how to go deeper with God when your little ones are sucking you dry. I also love having good friends to meet with regularly and pray together – it really stretches me and helps to have a ‘running partner’. Lacey ~ Mum to 5,3 & 1 yod

 

It can be a struggle at times but here are a few things I’m learning. 1st is that I can spend time with God anytime anywhere. I can even spend time with God and my children at the same time. This I am learning as I have been changing my mindset of ‘spending time with God’ as a religious act that must achieve certain expectations I had, to a view of my relationship with God as daily, minute by minute communion with Him. John 15 has become a favourite passage.

How I do this is? By continually turning my thoughts to Him. Speaking (often out loud) to Him about what is happening. This is great for children to hear and see. Thanking Him for every blessing even the car park out the front of Coles. My daughter is getting great at doing this too. Whenever I am driving which is a lot for a busy Mum, I put worship music on and sing along or pray. I also downloaded an audio bible on my iPad and when I am working around the house or sitting and playing with children I will have it playing so that I am hearing the word (and my children) through out the day.

I try to set aside an hour every day during children’s rest times to sit at the piano and worship, or spend time in prayer or studying the word. Which ever I feel God is leading me to do. God has challenged me for the next 40 days to start my day with praise. So in the morning I put a praise song on and dance around with the children. With children’s devotions we have a memory verse for the week that we read and talk about and try to sit together and pray for each other before heading out the door.

In the evening we try to put on a quiet worship song and sit quietly with the children and let them rest in God’s presence before going to bed. But really for me it has been about learning to abide moment by moment. To be constantly aware of God’s presence, to pray without ceasing, to learn to listen to my spirit and let the Holy Spirit lead me through my day. The one thing that God is challenging my on is my use of the internet. It is the thing that distracts me and disconnects me from God the fastest and the most frequently. So now when I feel like sitting down with the iPad and having a blob I ask myself how I could be spending my time with The Lord.

I am learning to take time to pray or read a chapter of the bible first rather than just go straight to entertaining myself. Hope this is helpful. Something that someone said to me recently that was a great encouragement is that 5 mins with God is better than none. And don’t disqualify myself for not spending hours with God if a few minutes is all I have had. His power in me doesn’t change and all that He is looking for is a willing and obedient heart that will say yes to His requests.  Michelle ~ Mum to 8, 4 & 2 yod.