Let’s talk about Quiet Time for Busy Moms. No, I am not referring to times when we finally get some peace and quiet, or Me Time. I am referring to the time we spend with the Lord, praying and journaling, listening to His voice.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
John 10:27, NKJV
Quiet Times are times when we re-connect with God. It is so important and yet it is the first thing that goes when we are busy or tired, isn’t it? Quiet Times hone our ears to hear His Voice. Jesus reminds us in John 10:27 that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. But how would we know His voice unless we spend enough time listening for and to it?
I believe that as we study His word and wait upon Him, we are fine tuning our ears, eyes, hearts to hear and see Him. It is my desire to be so intuned with Him that I immediately know His answer on anything that I have questions on. Wouldn’t that be so cool? I don’t want to only seek His face and hear His voice when I am in trouble.
Quiet Time is Not Compulsory
Let me just say upfront that Quiet Time is not compulsory. God will not browbeat us if we don’t do it. So, no need to heap more guilt on ourselves if we have not been able to do it.
But …
You know there is a but somewhere, right? 🙂 But, it is necessary if we wish to deepen our walk with our Father. If we wish to walk in alignment with His will for us and our family.
But, is Quiet Time for Busy Moms even possible? How exactly are we to find pockets of time to meditate on the Lord? Same as anyone else, actually.
Just Do It
The simple answer is:
JUST DO IT.
Let me be blunt here. We find time for what we deem important.
Should I be foolish enough to ever mention the lack of space or quiet in my home to do Quiet Times with the Lord, someone will invariably share the example of Susanna Wesley and her apron over her head story with me. Although I roll my eyes, that example showed that she JUST DID IT. She did not wait for the perfect time or that Pinterest perfect table set-up to be able to spend time with the Lord.
Fix a Time and Go For It
Just fix a time, grab a notebook and pen, your Bible, and start. And I will say here: I do not like using Bible apps or online resources. Not only do they increase my temptation to check Facebook or email “one last time” before I start, but it also makes it harder for me to remember where the verses are located when I want to look it up the next time. I have the same problem when I read off the Kindle or iPad too. Old people problems? 🙂
Morning? Afternoon? Evening?
Do what is suitable for that particular season in your life. JUST DO IT. I do mine in the mornings. I get sleepy in the afternoon and am brain dead after dinner.
It Will Be Different
Accept that time with the Lord looks very different before and after children are gifted to you. You will not be able to spend uninterrupted hours praying and reading His word. But you can still pray and read His Word. It will again look different when your children start school and are less dependent on you. Or if you return to the workforce.
There were seasons when my Quiet Times with the Lord were non-existent. Or, were sporadic and often done in a daze. Sleep deprivation is real!
RELATED POST: Falling off the QT Wagon
But His grace is sufficient for me. God sees our hearts and knows the seasons of our lives. It is NOT one more thing on our To-Do List. If you can’t, you can’t. But be honest about whether you really can’t or you prefer not to.
Quiet Time for Busy Moms of Young Children
1. Nap Times and Early Bedtimes
If you are a mother with young children who will not leave you alone, may I suggest that you use their nap times and set early bedtimes for your Quiet Time before you space out in front of the TV or your smartphone?
I used to read my Bible, pray and then take my own nap during their nap times. Very productive, eh? 🙂
Early bedtimes are very helpful. I have written before that my children have some inbuilt radar that senses that I am awake in the mornings. They will all stir and wake up, looking for me, usually crying. Sigh.
However, they would sleep through whatever noise I make once they knock off for the night. And since they go to bed by 8pm, that meant that I could do my thing once they have gone to bed. So there was a season when I would do my Quiet Times at 8:30pm. But I preferred not to as I tend to doze off!
2. Alone Playtime
You can use your children’s alone playtime to do your Quiet Time. Not sure how to do this? Read: Teach Your Children to Play On Their Own.
Quiet Time for Busy Moms of Older Children
3. Before the Children Wake Up
Work quiet times with the Lord into your preferably before the children wake up. When I had small children, my morning routine was to tumble out of bed, jump into the shower and play catch up all day till nap time! But once the children were older (like now) I would do my quiet time in the morning, before the whole house stirs.
4. When the Children are in School
This is ideal for those who send their children off to school. Since the time to drop or send them off is a fixed time, you can fix your time with the Lord for immediately after that. Since I homeschool, this isn’t a viable option since I am almost always interrupted when they need help with school work.
5. While Waiting for Your Child
When you have to send and fetch your children all over the island for their enrichment activities, use those waiting times. Remember, we are not aiming for an hour of prayer. We are talking about just reading a passage or a short devotional, and then meditating on God’s word or journaling down what you hear the Holy Spirit saying to you.
None of these ideas is new. My hope is that at least one will spur you to be intentional about spending time with the Lord.
What to Use for Quiet Times
a. A Devotional
When I was struggling to get Quiet Time going, I found having a devotional very helpful.
RELATED POST: Using a Devotional for Quiet Time
My all-time favourite devotional is Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest. Another option is Daily Gifts of Hope: Devotions for Each Day of Your Year.
However, I am not using any devotional this year but reading through the Bible from Genesis, using the S.O.A.P method.
b. The S.O.A.P. Bible Study Method
What is the S.O.A.P. Bible study method? S.O.A.P. stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.
You start by picking a book of the Bible. Start from the first chapter and read through it. As you are reading be sensitive to any prompting of the Spirit. Pick a verse that you felt spoke to you from that chapter. Then pause to observe and meditate on what God is saying to you from that verse. Continue to meditate and think about how you can apply it to your situation/season of life, and then pray.
That’s it. Don’t overcomplicate matters. If you have more time to do some further research, read commentaries, go for it. But don’t guilt trip yourself to do it just because you think that’s what a “good” Christian should do.
To use this method, you can use any notebook you have on hand and draw lines to demarcate the different S.O.A.P. parts. Or you can use the free S.O.A.P. printables we have in our Resource Library.
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Online Resources
If you prefer online resources, there is She Reads Truth. You can choose to do it online (free) or purchase their devotional. Crosswalk is another free option. Or there is the YouVersion bible app that you can download into your phone and get their verse of the day to meditate and pray over.
A Word of Caution
Use what you prefer. But get it done.
A word of caution if you do choose to use an app or online devotional – don’t get distracted! I am very susceptible to distraction, so I avoid it. Flee from temptation, the Bible tells us! Lol!
Do you struggle to do your Quiet Time in the midst of your busy schedule? How do you find time for it? What do you use for it? Share with us in the comments.
Related Posts
Falling Off the QT Wagon
Teach Your Children to Play On Their Own
Using a Devotional for Quiet Time
*First published on 23rd January 2017. Edited and updated 20th September 2020.