Motherhood is a gift from God, a sacred duty and high calling. What privilege it is to pour love, wisdom and guidance into young lives, and what joy to see them grow in wisdom, stature and favor with God and men! The endless demands and pressures of raising children press us to trust God and grow the fruit of the spirit by waiting, listening, and yielding to His grace and guidance. Only a surrendered heart in the midst of the mundane (and the draining) discovers power from God to thrive and find joy in the journey.

A woman must be vigilant to be found in God’s word, prayer, fellowship and active ministry to others if she does not want the cares of this life to steal her joy and strength.

How?

How is a busy mother to do this? Some women are content to coast on their past devotion, others rely solely on their husband’s leadership, but the spiritually fit woman is diligent to invest in her own relationship with God.

Some days, however, when the baby’s crying begins before my alarm goes off, I shuffle bleary-eyed up the stairs to him wondering how I will ever get the care and nourishment I need. For the woman who loves the Lord, it can be a strange season where she feels tired, lonely, and spiritually dormant. Have you ever felt this way?

Let’s address some challenges to spiritual health during motherhood and explore some solutions:

Studying Scripture:

Sleepless seasons with newborn babies make mindless scrolling through Pinterest or Instagram seem easier than reading the Bible, but caring for infants doesn’t last forever, and your spiritual health requires God’s word IN YOU! It is easy for your knowledge of scripture to grow dull during busy times, but be vigilant, for you need God’s word in your heart to battle the bouts of discouragement, depression, doubt, distractions and deceptions that rise up to rob your strength.

These are some ways to get scripture in your heart:

Listen to audio Bible through the day.

Aim to read a chapter each day. If that doesn’t happen, read one verse. Reading uniquely impacts the mind.

Post scriptures on index cards in your kitchen, or wherever you spend a lot of time.

Meditate on one verse each day.

Don’t worry about not having time to really study and understand everything you read! Hiding God’s word in your heart provides material to process as life goes on, and sometimes mysterious scriptures suddenly come alive through your experiences.

Knowing the word of God equips you to discern what is right and true. When your heart is yielded to God, His word renews your mind and guides you through life. It also gives you something to talk about with God in prayer.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12

Time in Prayer:

You can (and should!) pray anywhere, anytime, giving thanks, interceding for others, and seeking God in everything you do. However, this does not replace the need for a focused time in the secret place. When a day begins before you do, how can you achieve this? Many of my attempts to carve out quiet time to pray have been interrupted by screaming children. Anyone else break away from a holy moment to yell at their kids? Oops. Me too. If you are pressing into God, these slip-ups are great opportunities to grow.

There are several ways you can make room for prayer:

Get up early before household duties begin, and pray before you do anything else. Or pray at night before you go to bed. Pray in the shower, pray while washing dishes, cleaning, feeding or rocking the baby, or driving the car. If your children are old enough, explain to them the importance of your time alone with God, and teach them to respect it. It will benefit them too!

Helpful Tips

You may find it difficult to focus and know WHAT to pray when you are tired and even disoriented. Here are some things you may find helpful:

Pray out loud (this can keep your mind from wandering, and there is power in confessing with your mouth, not just believing in your heart. You are accountable for your words.) If this feels awkward because you are used to silent prayer, try it anyway! I think it will be worth it.
Declare God’s power and character. (Do a Bible word search starting with “God is…” and you will be amazed and awed by descriptions of our great God.)
Praise and give thanks. This is the will of God, and when you acknowledge God’s past faithfulness and provision, you set yourself up to see God’s present and future victory.
Make requests for yourself and others. Pray for a scripture you read to become a reality in your life. Confess any struggles and sins in exchange for the truth and healing of Christ
Quiet yourself and listen for truth and insight that God wants to share with you concerning your requests.
Finish with praise and declaration of who God is, and choose to pace yourself to the way of God throughout the day.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

1 Thesssalonians 4:16-18

Christian Fellowship:

Countless discouraged mothers have expressed how pointless it feels to go to church. Constant stepping out of service to feed or quiet small children and the inability to hold a basic conversation makes mothers feel isolated and defeated. Even close friendships can grow distant through child-bearing years because while hearts may stay kindred, there is little time and opportunity to connect. However, I urge you, continue to go to church! Attend gatherings and meet with friends. You are investing in long term relationships, though the quality may presently be poor. When time is short, choose content wisely. Are your words encouraging and life-giving? Talk about the Lord, give thanks for blessings, and share a lesson God has been teaching you. If you can think of nothing in your busy, tired mind, ask others, “What are you thankful for this week? What is something you are learning about God? What scripture has inspired you?” These questions can make for vibrant and encouraging fellowship, or can open a door to pray for or help each other.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:24-25

Ministry to Others:

The growth of a family inevitably transfers our time and attention to discipling our children. Truly, the ministry of the home is the most important of all. It is the first touchpoint of the kingdom of God working through your life in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. However, your husband and children are not the only people you can minister to! While your time for other people may be extremely limited right now, some other ways to reach out are by having someone over for tea during your children’s nap time, or sending a quick text, “I’m praying for you today,” “I want to encourage you with this scripture,” or “I appreciate you.” You may not have time to help with someone’s house project, make a meal for a sick family, or disciple a new Christian the way you used to, but being mindful of others throughout your busy day can be a great exercise of selfless blessing and fruitfulness.

“He who waters others will himself be watered.”

Proverbs 11:25

Gift

How have you found strength in God through busy seasons of motherhood? Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father. Motherhood is such a gift, and He wants you to thrive in Him every step of the way!

Meet our Guest Blogger:

Laurel Vargas

Laurel is a wife, mother of four and an entrepreneur. She creates unique, beautiful, nature designed leather jewelry and sells specialty home items on her website. She also just started a hospitality blog, named: At Home. You can find her @laurelicottage and www.laurelicottage.com

2 Comments

Karin Leinfus on October 27, 2021 at 9:03 am

Very helpful tips on staying close to God while being a busy mother. Although I’m a grandmother now, these tips are relevant to me also. Thank you for sharing.
Dawn on October 28, 2021 at 8:19 am

I have found great strength in the LORD when I see the world through the lenses of Jesus. By that, I mean looking out for the interests of others before myself, whether it be the elderly neighbor across the street, or my own son. Motherhood is busy, yes, and it takes organized, disciplined effort to look beyond my own family’s needs sometimes. But I am always glad that I did. I loved reading Laurel’s suggestions regarding ministry to others. My favorite time to pray for people is when I am folding the Laundry! An older Christian sister told me that she prays for her husband every time she is driving and comes to a Stop Sign! I started doing this, and it is amazing how often I pray for him now! Motherhood truly is a privilege and a gift from God. I am grateful that the LORD made a way for me to become a mother!

Keeping Spiritually Fit during Motherhood