Hi there!

I see you!

You’re a mom full of love wanting a God lead, God inspired life for you and your children. You see motherhood as your ministry but time to serve this mission to the level you would prefer is scarce. Despite the commodity of time inherent to mom life, you can have the fruitful life God has planted in you and you can nurture those same seeds of fruitfulness in your children same in their early years.

Seeds of Motherhood provides resources to sow into your life and help you sow into the life of your child through devotionals with life applications and podcasts for you connected to corresponding bible lessons, crafts, object lessons and videos for your children.

1 Mom life is hard work but I love it! I also love my time with God but these two loves do not always coincide the way I hope maybe you can relate. Just as you settle in to read your bible, a little one comes tugging on your side, tapping on your shoulder or crying for your attention. You close your bible to tend to those needs knowing that you might not get another chance to spend in His presence. The desire is there but the day goes by leaving exhaustion as the fruit of the day. The next day looks much the same and much like the next. Our lives look different now than they did before we entered our season of motherhood but God’s de-sire to spend time with us has not changed. In His faithfulness, He has revealed to me over the years some ways to work within the natural flows of mom life to purpose to spend time with Him.

I am excited to share 10 approaches to spend more time with God on the following pages. I pray you are encouraged by these ideas as you seek the Father in your everyday life. Of note, all scriptures quoted are in English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Sisterly with love,

Alicia

Idea #1 Rise Early.

Psalm 5:3 In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

If your children are on a fairly set schedule, set your alarm to get up 10 or 20 minutes earlier to read scripture, pray or read a devotional. The way we start our day can go along way towards the flow of our day as a whole. As moms, it does not take long for our list of planned to dos to go awry so by starting our day we God with rising early we do not have to fear that we will never get a chance to do so later in the day.

Idea #2 During meal or nap time.

Mom life is full of opportunities to multitask so if your children are not on a predictable schedule, then read the word while your child naps, nurses or takes a bottle. The You Version bible app is offers an easier route for quicker access to the bible electronically in various versions as well as devotionals so while you hold your baby in one hand, you can read the word in your other when-ever a moment avails itself.

Idea #3 Set a reminder.

The day fills quickly with the unexpected causing us to forget or delay the things we really want to do ultimately leaving little time or energy to do them. Setting a phone reminder to read scripture from a devotional or online bible can be helpful. When the timer, rings we can stop what we are doing and spend time with God. Let’s face it, there is always something to do on our list but some things like the dishes can wait a few minutes for us to redirect that time to God. A timer can help also become an automatic accountability partner to help us do this.

Idea #4 Listen.

Here is another opportunity to multitask. While driving, cleaning, exercising, brushing your teeth or taking a shower, listen to the word. Online sermons and podcasts, such as Growing in God by Seeds of Motherhood can serve as conduits to hear from God. Audio versions of the bible or devotionals can also provide an opportunity to hear God while performing other duties integral to mom life. Prayerfully seek God’s guidance on which sources He is directing you to use for Him to speak into your life.

Idea #5 During quiet time.

Quiet time for children can help them develop their creative abilities and execute functioning, as they think about how to amuse them-selves and not rely on you for their constant source of entertainment. Learning to have unstructured time throughout their day will also teach them the value of not having a full schedule. If this is not already part of your daily schedule, then intro-duce your child to quiet time with announcing it is time for quiet time. Offer books to look through or audiobooks for listening, coloring pages or toys so they can decide how to spend their time with saying it is time to read or color on your own. Set a timer for 5 minutes to start and celebrate with your child when they have successfully entertained themselves for that time period. Extend the time as your child shows the ability to do so. During this time, you can meet with God in whatever way you feel lead.

Idea #6 Have family reading time. Is 55:10-11.

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Reading to our children helps develop their language skills. Reading the word over them helps develop their appreciation for the word. It also speaks the truth of the word over them planting seeds that will one day produce a mighty harvest in their lives. The power of life and death is in our tongues (Pro 18:21). Don’t underestimate the power of reading the word over your children. Even if they don’t under-stand it, it will not return void!

Hearing the word out loud also provides an active method for us to engage with the word and improves our own retention of it.

Idea #7 Practice being in His presence.

Place scripture in areas you may frequent such as your mirror, car dash, child’s changing table or in the kitchen to come face to face with it in some form throughout your day. You may be able to use a daily scripture calendar to keep at your bedside or on your dining table or when time allows write scriptures on index cards, a chalk-board or whiteboard in your home. On the Seeds of Motherhood website, scripture cards are included with each post for as an easily accessible re-source for quick printing or review. One scripture to use for a week or longer can suffice. As you look over, pray for God to write in on your heart and reveal its meaning for you for your current season of life.

Idea #8 Set the atmosphere

Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre! Ps 149:3. Music can usher you into His presence and sharpen your senses to hear from Him. Play music while you go about your day at home, at work, in the car or during errands. He inhabits the praises of His people so as she worship Him in spirit and in truth then sense His presence in the place. Listen to the words and let Him speak to you through song . Don’t even be afraid to dance a little too if the spirit leads! You can have your own praise party at home with your child and believe that the spirit is moving in them too and they learn to praise God right along with you.

Idea #9 Go to bed with God.

As you settle in for the night and get cozy in your bed, take the few moments before you close your eyes for the night to speak to God and to hear from Him. Let scripture be your bed time story to lull you into a peaceful sleep. Say a brief prayer to thank Him for keeping you through the day and invite Him to come rest upon you for the night as He keeps watch of you and your household. Thank Him for restful, restorative sleep for you and your children and for meeting you in the morning to get you through your day. As you end your day with Him on your mind, rest in knowing that He is keeping you safe in His arms.

Idea #10 Pray.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Col 4:2 Pray while you wash dishes, change diapers or cleaning dirty faces or hands. Don’t get caught up and thinking the prayer needs to long and eloquent. It just needs to be from your heart. A simple, Lord help is enough if that is all that will escape from your lips. The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Ps 145:18. After praying, take a moment to listen to God speak to you, to make you aware of His presence with expectation that He will move in your life.

Whatever your current season in motherhood, God is ready to meet you where you are. Be encouraged! Mom life is full of adventure and every day will be different but God will be the same. He wants nothing more than to spend time with us and He knows the season we are in so He will be available to talk whenever we make ourselves available to listen. He doesn’t need much time to do mighty works. Whatever time you have give it to Him. He built the whole world with just a few words, let it be and it was so believe that whether it’s a few seconds or a few minutes God can move mountains in your life. Don’t let the enemy tell you otherwise because as we know the truth is not in him anyway.

Be encouraged because God is not surprise with how busy your life is and how limited your time seems so he will meet you wherever even in the bathroom if you want!

Sisterly, in love,

Alicia