Inside: Motherhood can be loud, messy, and chaotic. Here are 17 doable ways to connect with God in the midst of your day as mama.
Are you desperate for a deeper connection to God, but feel like between kids, a husband, and the responsibilities of life, there's just no time leftover to sit still in His presence?
You are not alone. With the busy, sometimes chaotic world we live in, God can feel so far away.
We know the peace, life, joy, and love He promises, but how do we even start to enjoy those things? Life might feel impossibly full, but even in the midst of your busy, kid-filled, responsibility-riddled life, you can connect with God on an intimate level.
If you're stuck in a spiritual rut, here are 17 fresh ideas to help you live in the acknowledged presence of your Creator.
But first:
What does the Bible say about connecting with God?
As we see in the book of Exodus, before Christ the Israelites didn't have the ability to connect with God on a personal level. Only the High Priest could go into the Holy of Holies where God sat on the mercy seat - and only once a year, at that.
Before Christ, this concept of having a individual relationship with The Father was absurd. For more on that, here are some verses to look up:
- Isaiah 59:2-3
- Exodus 19:21-22
- Exodus 25:22
- Leviticus 16:2
- Exodus 26: 33b
- Hebrews 9:7
Meeting with God on our sofas, in the living room, with a fire going and a steaming mug of tea in hand would have been absolutely absurd to the Israelites - and blasphemous.
But that is the exact absurdity we daily take for granted, isn't it?
The veil has been torn! We have the access thousands upon thousands of people before us couldn't even imagine. The God of the Universe allows us to meet with Him. Know Him. Bask in His glory.
- Hebrews 9:10-11
- Hebrews 4: 14-16
- Hebrews 10:19-20
- 2 Corinthians 6:16
So what does the Bible have to say about connecting with God?
A lot. But the bottom line is this: He is a relational God, who wants to be in constant relationship with us.
Because we rejected Him, The Father sent His Son to take the sacrificial place for us, so that we could be in a holy relationship with Him. Now, because of Jesus, we don't need a human high priest. We have High Priest Jesus. Whose very Spirit lives inside of us.
17 Ways To Connect With God As A Busy Mom
We know why we should connect with God on a daily minute-by-minute basis.
Knowing we need to meet with God isn't the issue - resistance rears it's ugly head when we try to take action aligning with that knowledge.
Don't let a busy schedule, day with kids, or tired spirit keep you from being intentionally tenacious about connecting with God each day.
You can do it. You need to do it. He provides.
Here are a few ideas:
1. Start a morning quiet time (before the kids are up)
I almost snuck this one down in the middle of the list - I don't want to loose you right off the bat.
But in the end, I couldn't. This is, in my opinion, the most important way for us, as mamas, to connect with God in an intentional, sacrificial way. To meet with Him in the early hours of the morning, when the house is quiet and the sky outside is dark.
2. Place Bible verses in a prominente place
When you read through Exodus, it's quickly evident the Israelites were a forgetful people. But we are also a forgetful people. Put Bible verses around your house - near your kitchen, in your bathroom, in the living room. When you see the verses, pray them back to God.
These are a beautiful, simple way to be reminded of the truth in God's word.
3. Start reading books that point you to God
Here are some suggestions:
- Don't Miss Out by Jeannie Cunnion
- How To Worship Jesus Christ by Joseph Carroll
- The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
- God's Smuggler by Brother Andrew
- Freely and Lightly by Emily Lex
4. Skip the podcast while doing chores
A while ago I went on a distraction fast - if you've never done one, now is the time. When I didn't have the distractions of podcasts in my ear, I found myself more tuned in to prayer and the presence of God.
5. Start a journal
Our brains are like a jumbled ball of yarn. Writing words down on paper help you pull those knotted strings free. I can't tell you how many times journaling has been an avenue for God to reveal truth to me. Try these morning journal prompts to get started.
6. Spend more time outside
“But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind."
Job 12:7-10
7. Talk about God with your kids
Make a point to talk about who God is, what Christ has done, and the work of the Spirit throughout the day.
"Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:7
8. Create a phone station in your home
Remember that distraction fast I told you about? Keep your phone in one place in your house. Don't carry it with you. And you'll be amazed how much more clear minded and aware of Jesus' presence you'll be.
9. Keep this book on your coffee table
10. Turn on worship music
Keep your mind and heart filled with the sound of worship. I've been brought to tears unexpectedly while cooking, listening to worship music. There is something special about listening to His glories being sung.
11. Listen to the Bible in the car
The YouVersion app will read any book and/or chapter for you.
12. Stop gossiping and/or complaining
When we stop talking about other people, we will be more prone to talk about things that are true, honorable, and worthy of praise.
When we stop complaining, we will be more prone to see what is good.
13. Fast
The reason Christians fast is to remind our minds and bodies that we are dependent on God, and God alone. You can fast from food, but you can also fast from social media, books, your phone, or shopping.
14. Practice the habit of resisting
Resisting something that feels good, emotionally or physically, is hard. Like fasting, when we practice resisting what is good in order to focus on who God is, we reorient our minds on what actually matters. And when we struggle to resist, we are reminded to pray.
Practice resisting:
- picking up your phone
- complaining to your husband
- nagging
- yelling
- snacking
15. Eliminate "hurry" from your house
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
16. Memorize Scripture
The Holy Spirit will bring to mind what we need, when we need it. But it must to be in our mind first.
17. Read the Bible with your kids
Start a morning routine with your kids and make reading the Bible together a part of that. More times than I can count, God has used that time to remind me of something true of Himself.
Why is it important to connect with God daily?
There is a tall lamp standing in a corner by my dining room table. It's black, crooked, and one of the shades is dangling ever so slightly.
It stands humbly and quietly, offering it's light in a dark corner of the house. More often than not I move about the day without a thought to that lamp. I'll do projects or eat meals on the table in a haze of grey, forgetting the lamp is there at all.
Then my husband will walk in and flip the switch, flooding that little corner with fresh, new light.
In the same way, we know God is here, with us. His presence is all around, filling our bodies and the air in whatever space we find ourselves in.
He is there, always.
But just like that lamp in the corner of my room, it's hard to fully enjoy His presence unless we are intentional about flipping that little switch.
He is our Creator. Our Father. Ever present in times of trouble. The source of all joy.
But when we aren't intentional about living in the continual acknowledgment of His presence, we are missing out.
We are a forgetful people. We need to be constantly reminded of who He is. And who we are in Him.
You can connect with God on a daily basis.
To a little Israelite girl in the time of the Exodus, this would have been a preposterous idea.
Don't take your relationship with Him for granted. Bask in His glories. Give Him your first fruits. Learn to love Him.
He loves you. And is always with you, wherever the chaotic day may have you.
