This post is from contributor Stephanie Sears
It was 4:30 AM.
As I rolled out of bed, I thought “This gives me time to do my devotional and watch NCIS before anyone wakes up.” I slowly made my way to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Just as I sat down around 4:45, the baby monitor went off. So I went to get her back to bed. As soon as I got her to sleep the preschooler was up. It was 5:15, and he was not going back to sleep.
The entire day went like that.
There was playing and cleaning and shopping and other things to be done. However, my day felt off. I’m a morning person who truly enjoys those two or three hours alone in the morning. With a husband who travels regularly, sometimes that is the only time to myself for days on end. When I don’t get it, I find I’m more on edge…more likely to be short with my children.
Before I knew it, bedtime for the kids had rolled around, and I still hadn’t showered. As I put them to bed I found myself craving a 30 minute shower in silence. It was in that silence that I found my prayer time for the day. I knocked out an entire Rosary. Then a few days later I found myself uttering Our Fathers as I washed my hair.
As parents we need to get creative about when we pray. God doesn’t care if it comes at 5:00 in the morning or 12:30 as we are putting our heads on the pillow. He appreciates the effort. Just like we tell our kids effort is important, God sees our effort. He knows that even our best-laid plans fall apart when there are young kids and dishes and homeschooling and husbands and everything else. He doesn’t hold it against us.
In certain seasons of life, our relationship with God looks different.
In college I found myself quickly looking at my Bible between writing papers and sorority meetings and praying as I walked to class. When I moved to Atlanta, solo, I had plenty of time to pray and read. After kids, notsomuch. In a few years, if there are no more little ones around, I expect I’ll have plenty of time in the morning while I wait for my grade schoolers to wake up.
So, sweet mother, pray in the shower, at the sink, in the car, before bed, whenever you can.
Short, 5-minute prayers are powerful. They speak to what is on our heart at that exact moment. It doesn’t need to look like the organized prayer time you had before children. It’s okay. God knows where you are in life. He gets it, because He put you there.
So celebrate this season and honor Him as much as you can, when you can. Stop fretting because you lost your morning or evening time. Embrace the time you do have. These years are fleeting, and God understands.
Don’t stop praying…just pray in the shower.
Stephanie Sears
Latest posts by Stephanie Sears (see all)
- Finding Balance When You Only Have Little Ones - March 24, 2014
- When a Book Ends Before the Year Does - January 13, 2014
- Loving Motherhood - August 30, 2013
- Lessons in Soccer - July 31, 2013
- Shower Prayers - June 28, 2013
I find myself praying at the oddest of places too. There is nothing I have found that gives a mother more strength than prayer. Especially when the coffee runs out. I also try to remember to offer up unwanted interruptions as little sacrifices and create them into gifts to God. The chore feels much lighter on your back. The impossibility of patience becomes doable. What felt like a burden before an offering, after prayer becomes an opportunity to show God love.
I consider the shower one of my “prayer closets”. I find myself automatically praying when I step under the water.
A great reminder for prayer thank you! 🙂 I am a night owl not a morning person so my time is a little flip flopped. I could not imagine getting myself out of bed 2-3 hours before my babies wake up!! 6am is already very early for me, I do not think I would make it through breakfast awake.
Shower prayers – I love it! I pray them.
Your post reminds me of the passage in 1 Thessalonians that say to Pray Continually – as you said, at the sink, in the car, in the shower – wherever you are. Pray Always.
Your words encouraged me today -thank you!
I loved this post. It was a great reminder prayer time is anytime.
Stephanie – Thank you for this much needed reminder! I often beat myself up for not having the picture-perfect, well-planned Bible and prayer time. God doesn’t care how I do it, He just wants me to do it!