How you can find consistent time for prayer and Bible study

Inside: If you struggle to make time for devotions keep reading. You’ll learn how to tell if you really don’t have time for God.

I really wanted to read my Bible but my to-do list was a mile long.

I thought I had a minute to pray but then I suddenly remembered all the dishes and laundry that waited for me. I had a plan to work on my Bible study when the kids went to bed but by the end of the day, I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

The key to being close to God during everyday life and struggles is being consistent in Bible study and prayer.

But it’s a struggle!

Good Intentions Aren’t Enough

We are all very busy these days with kids and family and work and all of those commitments that pull our time. Those things are important, but sometimes there’s so much going on that we just don’t have time to pick up our Bible or time to pray.

I am so guilty of this. I always say, “As soon as I get the boys to bed and have a moment of peace and quiet, I’m going to sit down and pray. I’m going to open my Bible and I’m going to work on my Bible study, or I’m going to work on my Bible reading plan.”

And then I fall asleep.

For me, waiting until the end of the day when everything is done and all the kids are asleep, I’m so exhausted from the day that I fall asleep. I just can’t keep my eyes open anymore!

Are you really short on time?

What is your biggest struggle right now?

If I came to you and said, “Hey, I know you’re going through a hard time right now but you know what? I can tell you one thing that will completely solve whatever your problem is.”

I’ll bet that if you’re anything like me, you would want to know what that one thing that is. If this one thing could make anything that you’re going through easier, you would want to know about it.

Listen up!

No matter what you’re going through, no matter what you’re dealing with, there is one thing that you can do today that will make it easier, that will solve all of your problems. Something that will help take the stress away and help you find peace and joy and strength.

That one thing is time with God.

Being in the Word and praying consistently is the key to whatever you are facing in your life today, big or small. It doesn’t matter if you are just trying to figure out how to get through the day today, taking care of your babies without completely losing your mind; a quiet time is going to help you with that.

If you are having financial hardships and you just don’t know what to do, spending time in the Word and time with God is going to show you what to do. It’s going to solve whatever your problem is. That is the answer.

Are You Too Busy for God?

Are you really too busy?

Are you really too busy to do the thing that’s going to make your life easier, that’s going to give you peace and sanity and rest and offer all the things that you need?

Are you really that busy?

I’ll bet that the answer to that is probably no. If I could do one thing that’s going to make everything bearable, that’s going to help me get through, that’s going to help me find peace…no, I’m not too busy.

So if we’re not too busy to do something that’s going to ease our load and bring us peace, then what’s the problem?

The problem is that we struggle with our priorities and time management. We’ve got all of these important things that we want to do or that we are doing. But we forget what is the most important.

And what is the most important thing?

Clubs, movies, play time…all of those things are important. They are all part of being a whole and healthy person, but they aren’t the most important thing.

Your laundry will still be there when you finish praying. The dishes will still be there when you’re done studying your Bible.

You can clean your house 5 minutes from now if you only have 5 extra minutes. You can get to that. Your kids will still be there in 5 minutes. It’s okay if they play on their own for a little while. It’s okay if you need to pop them in front of the tv for 10 minutes to get some time to be with God.

Seek Him First

The most important thing is God. God first, and everything else falls into place. He says that. He says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and then all these things will be added unto you.” What are all these things?

They are everything that He talks about before that verse. All the things that are important to you, the desires of your heart. If we seek God first, if we put Him in the proper place in our lives and in our schedules, everything else becomes easier.

People ask me all the time, “How do you manage to homeschool and to work from home and you’re a single mom, etc?”

It’s because I’ve learned to put God first. When I do not make time to be in prayer and to read my Bible and to just really spend time with God before I jump into the day, the day is a lot harder. I struggle with my attitude, with my patience, with everything.

Just that one thing first thing in the morning really makes all the difference. Now, having said all of that, I want to share another secret with you.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time.

Making Time for God

You don’t need hours and hours in order to be efficient with your quiet time or to really get to know God. If all you have is one minute, then give God that one minute. It’s possible to grow closer to God and to grow spiritually in just a few minutes a day.

The Bible says, “But God rewards those who diligently seek Him.” If you are diligently seeking God with that one minute that you have in the morning before all chaos ensues, He is going to reward you for that one minute. And then you’ll grow from one minute to five minutes, and from five minutes to ten minutes.

And then maybe one day you will have an hour that you can spend.

A Day Spent with God

Here are some ways to find God in small pockets of time during your day:

Take five minutes in the morning to pray over your day and read one verse
In the afternoon, take 5 minutes to go back and read a few more verses
While you’re cooking dinner take a minute to thank God for all He’s brought you through that day, share a need with Him, and maybe read that verse one more time to get you through the rest of the day

15 minutes spent with God in prayer and in the Word throughout your day. Seems easy when it’s laid out like that doesn’t it?

Here’s a few more:

While folding laundry: pray over each person as I fold their clothes
While cooking dinner: thank God for providing the means for you to have healthy food
While paying bills: Ask God to continue to bless financially and for Him to teach you to be a good steward of the resources He provides

We Need Time with God in Order to Survive

That is how we, as busy moms, find time for Bible study and prayer. You have to realize that it is the most important thing that you can do. And then you have to put it in its proper place in your priorities.

Its’ got to be the most important thing.

You don’t have to think about breathing or eating. You just do that because you need it to survive. That is what your relationship with God is as well.

You have to do it. It is not optional.

If we don’t have God in our lives, we are going to crack up and lose our minds, We won’t be joyful, we won’t enjoy our work, we won’t enjoy those beautiful kids He gave us, and we’re not going to be able to serve our families the way we want to.

He is the key. God is the most important thing.

When you realize that and put it in the proper place, then it becomes easier. You’ll feel off when you get so busy that you forget to have time with God. You’ll miss it!

Let me say it one more time.

Spending time with God is the most important thing. You’ve got to get it done.

No matter what you’re facing, no matter what you’re going through. If you want to get through it with victory and peace and joy, you’ve got to spend time with God. It’s not optional, so stop thinking of it as optional.