Are you tired? I don’t mean just physically tired. I mean spiritually, emotionally, and mentally tired. It seems like everywhere we turn these days there are demands on our time and energy. From work to home to church, it feels like we’re constantly juggling balls in the air with no end in sight. And for Christian working moms, that can be especially tough because we feel guilty if we’re not always fulfilling all of our roles perfectly.
It’s no secret that prayer can be a challenging discipline. For working moms, it often feels like an uphill battle to find time for consistent prayer. But there’s hope! With a few tips and simple steps, it’s possible to make prayer a regular part of your life, even when you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed. My friend Amy Senter shares thoughts, encouragement and tips for consistent prayer even in the midst of the busyness of life. Keep reading for some helpful advice on how to make prayer work for you!
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What Does it Mean to Pray Consistently?
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NKJV) says “Pray without ceasing.” We know we’re supposed to pray, but somehow it keeps getting pushed way down on our list of things to do. Between middle-of-the-night feedings and finding everyone’s shoes, you barely remember to make your own breakfast!
So how are we supposed to find time for prayer?
When I was a new mom, I was struggling to say the least.
All of my friends were still working full time and I only had a newborn to hang out with. Even when I did manage to make “mom friends” and learn about the world of “play dates”, I felt inadequate. My son threw the biggest tantrums of any kid I knew and my fears of not being a good mom, or that something was wrong with my child, were constantly feeding that mom guilt.
I sought out help through older women I admired at church who had raised children that followed the Lord. I wanted the five quick steps to fix my child’s behavior, but instead, I got some advice that surprised me.
They told me to make prayer a priority in my life.
I learned that not all prayers have to be said in the quiet of the morning or around the dinner table, but that they can be said aloud in the middle of the chaos and left open-ended as you continue throughout your day.
I turned my formal (non-existent) prayer life into an on-going conversation with Jesus. Sometimes it was no more than a few words like Thank you, or Help me, Lord. Eventually, I wrote down my prayers in journals, and modeled prayer with my children.
Soon, I didn’t have to “make time” for prayer, it was just a part of my routine.
Why is it Important to Pray Consistently?
Many of us turn to our own mothers for parenting advice. But we also have a heavenly father who knows our children better than we do.
God is our helper, comfort, counselor and friend.
He never asked us to do this parenting thing on our own. In fact, he asks us to let him help!
He wants you to whisper his name in the middle of the night when you’re exhausted. To simply say a prayer of request in the middle of a tantrum when you need a deep breath to give you focus on how to handle the situation.
He wants to be involved in each and every moment. He wants us to simply pray without ceasing.
Sometimes we think that our prayers have to be eloquent. Your Father who sees you and knows you best is always ready to talk. Make your prayer life a never-ending conversation.
When you pray consistently in this way, you are reminding yourself that you aren’t alone. Prayer gives us strength, hope, peace, patience, wisdom and a multitude of other gifts in addition to growing closer to our Creator.
Looking for more Guided prayers and resources to help you transform your prayer life? Check out all of our prayer resources for tips, guides, and printables to help you deepen your prayer life!
What Does the Bible Say About Consistent Prayer?
When you take a long time to read a novel, you usually have to backtrack and remind yourself of what happened in the previous chapter. But when you read a large chunk in one sitting, you often get sucked into the storyline, or make connections you otherwise would have missed.
Consistent prayer is like that. Instead of feeling bored or detached when you pray sporadically, you feel more connected to what God is trying to teach you, and a habit forms because you begin to go to prayer first instead of only when hardships arise.
Here are a few things that the Bible teaches us about the benefits of prayer:
PRAYER IS A REMINDER TO BE THANKFUL
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
PRAYER IS A WEAPON AGAINST EVIL
Ephesians 6:18 (NIV) “Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
PRAYER PROVIDES PEACE
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
PRAYER IS PERSONAL
1 John 5:14 (NIV) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”
PRAYER IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER
James 5:13-14 (NIV) “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them.”
How Do I Pray More Consistently?
I love the simple advice Candace Cameron Bure gives in her book, Healthy in the Hustle:
“What do you need to add to and subtract from your life in order to have a powerful prayer life?”
_________ + ___________ – __________ = A Powerful Personal Prayer Life
For me, it’s putting the phone away and getting up 15 minutes before the kids to write my prayers in a journal. For you, it might be going somewhere quiet to pray during your lunch break.
Here are some other times during the day that you can pray:
- As soon as you turn off your alarm
- While you drink your coffee
- Before the kids get up
- With the kids on the way to school
- In the car on the way to work
- Before you pick up the kids
- At meal times
- With the kids at bedtime
Whether you’re in front of a screen or running around town, there’s no reason you can’t spend time with him. Sometimes my prayers are a simple whisper of “Jesus”, as if he is sitting with me all day watching me go through everything. He is—so talk to him as if you believe it!
What could praying without ceasing look like in your life?
Try Going on a Prayer Walk!
Ready to jump-start your prayer life? I’ve created a Printable Prayer Walk Workbook that includes activities for a 1.5 hour self-guided nature walk with follow-up suggestions.
Don’t have the time? Break it up and do one page each day with your kids as you go on your afternoon walk!
Includes:
- 6 guided activities to study the psalms
- 7 journaling prompts for ongoing prayers
- Topical Psalms list for further study
- Cheatsheet on writing your own psalm
- Reproducible Prayer Record Keeping
Order yours here: https://amysenter.com/product/prayer-workbook/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Senter is a Christian Lifestyle Blogger and Artist from Fort Worth, Texas. Since struggling with Late Stage Lyme Disease in 2014, she writes to empower and encourage women all over the world to live their lives with intention through personal and spiritual growth. She lives with her husband of 16 years and their two children.