Take Time to Pray

Daring to Tell You to Do Another Thing

In a retreat for moms, the speaker encouraged all of us to take time to pray, ideally 30 minutes every day. My eyes snuck a sideway glance to catch the other moms in the room looking skeptical, discouraged, or even amused. Ask busy moms of multiple kids to find 30 minutes every day to sit still in the quiet and pray? That’s a good one. But then the speaker followed it up with something that changed my prayer life from that day forward: “Ask God to give you that time for prayer if He wants it for you. God is creative, and He can do anything. Ask Him, if he wants you to spend time with Him every day in prayer, to give it to you, and to show you when and where.” Today I’m encouraging you to ask Him for the same gift.

Telling busy moms to do another thing isn’t just ridiculous, it’s a little cruel. We are trying so hard to do so much already. However, I’m here to tell you to do a lot less of other things, and to do more of one thing.

Delighted In

Tonight I actually looked at my baby daughter sleeping in my arms after I finished nursing her. Not at my phone, a book, the clock… I gazed at her. The more I looked, the more my heart burst with love for her and I wanted to squeeze her and smother her with kisses. It was better than any eye candy on Instagram; her round pink cheek, her downy bed-hair sticking out to the side, the little button nose, the fluttering eyelashes and little twitching pink lips. God, she is so beautiful, it hurts. I gazed on her in pure delight.

Now picture God holding YOU like that. Yes, I know you’re not an innocent little baby, but you are His daughter, the work of His own hands. He gazes on you with pure delight. Even though you are human, imperfect, even sinful. Heck, although my baby is innocent of sin, she is still human: she gets cranky when she’s tired, she throws tantrums if she doesn’t get what she wants, she thinks everyone exists for her sake, and sometimes she smells like poop. Yet I can hardly believe I get to call her my own daughter, and my love for her is fierce.

God looks at you that way.

When children notice their parents delight in them, they feel secure and can thrive. What if you took time to notice God delighting in you? What if you took a little time each day, or even once in a while, to let Him hold you? (while you sleep is okay, too!) do you think you would experience His gentle yet fierce love for you? How would that change you?

Priorities

We have to get over the lie that prayer is another task to add to the impossibly long list. In no way is prayer on the same level as ordering groceries, vacuming the basement, or even getting your workout in. Prayer is a relationship with God, and it’s even more important than taking care of your kids, your home, your marriage, or even yourself. Prayer is relationship with God. In her book “A Mother’s Rule of Life”, Holly Pierlot identifies 5 key priorities, or “P’s”: Prayer, Person, Partner, Parent, Provider. The first priority being “Prayer” means putting God first in your life. That can be carried out in various ways such as Mass, Lectio Divina, Rosary, Adoration, or other spiritual devotions and practices that help you grow closer to God and live out His will for your life. From this top priority

The One Thing

You know the familiar Martha and Mary story:

“As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” -Luke 10:38-42

We could talk forever about the lessons women can draw from this scripture. But let’s just ask one question: What do you think was the one thing?

The Challenge

Consider yourself challenged to take time to pray. Waste time with Jesus. Every day. But not just because you “should”. And it’s not just “one more thing”. You NEEEEEEEEEEEED Him! It is THE thing that will free you to live in confidence and peace, knowing you are delighted in, knowing you are loved, knowing you are secure, protected, provided for and fought for by the Creator of the universe, your Father in Heaven. Start with 15 minutes a day. 15 minutes in exchange for more than you can even dream of.

A Promise in Return for Your Time

I promise if you take time to pray you will be better off than if you don’t. It will seem like you have more time than you had before. You will become more confident about knowing what to do and stronger in regards to doing it. Your relationships with your husband, children, friends, and yourself will improve. You will learn to hear God’s voice speaking particularly to you, and will begin to live with increasing amounts of joy, peace, and freedom. For a list of 20 ways Lectio Divina has changed my life, check out this video: 20 Amazing Benefits of Lectio Divina

Prayer is not another thing to add to your to-do list. Clear off the list. Take time to pray. Order everything in your day, everything in your life, around it. Nothing matters compared to your relationship with God. We hope to spend eternity with Him in Paradise. Spending a little time each day with God now shows Him we want to be with Him and allows Him to transform us and lead us on the journey Home. Prayer is choosing to be with God, getting to know Him, opening your heart to Him, listening to Him, and falling in love with Him. From it every goodness will flow into your life and into your home and your family.

Decide to take time to pray and join the Lectio Divina Movement. Moms are transforming the world starting with their own hearts and overflowing into their family, friends, and communities. Join the movement today and change your life forever!