We have to face it. Dedicated Moms really don't have time to call their own. Once they become a mother, and even in pregnancy, their hearts are joined to that little one inside her womb or her children outside it. Her care for her child is without limits and often goes into the night and even throughout the night. A mother's care for her children is 24/7, I don't think we'll have any disagreement here.
So, how does a busy Mom find the time to pray when she is inundated with the care of the family? Even Moms who know that they absolutely need to pray for the survival of the family cannot seem to find that essential time. What can she do?
I recommend that mothers get into the habit of raising their hearts and minds to the Lord the first thing in the morning. When she opens her eyes to a new day she can offer her heart to the Lord and pray a Morning Offering in her own words or the formal words. She will have then offered her entire day over to the Lord with all its craziness and chaos, joys and sorrows - everything to Him. Mother Teresa called this "total surrender." We surrender our very lives to Him.
Then when the day begins to get busy, usually when we first wake up (and perhaps it had been throughout the night with baby feedings, diaper changes, care of sick children and all) we have already offered our days with all its busyness to God and He is pleased.
Of course, we strive to find those quiet moments always throughout our days; perhaps at nap times or when there might be a little lull in the schedule. Then we offer our hearts again to Him who gives us life. He will bless our days, craziness and all. And we will know in our hearts that He is in control because we have given everything to Him. He will help us to find occasions for prayer and we will have peace even amid the hectic pace in the household because we are trusting in Him and accepting our amazing vocation of motherhood right in the heart of our home - right in our Domestic churches!
Do you have a prayer tip that you would like to share? Feel free to leave it as a comment. I hope to hear from you. :)
God bless!
8 comments:
What a wonderful idea.. offering up our day to the Lord. I fall into that very trap of wanting to have more prayer time with the Lord and yet feeling such guilt with how busy my days and nights seem and then that time I had hoped to spend in prayer is used in dealing with my family - thanks for the wonderful idea!
It's so nice to hear from you, Tracy! You said, "...and then that time I had hoped to spend in prayer is used in dealing with my family." I know what you mean but remember that dealing with your family IS A PRAYER. You are in the heart of the home to work out your sanctification and that of your family. All of those loving acts of service to your family are HUGE in God's eyes - He put you there in the heart of the home!
God bless,
Donna
I read prayers while online. I've also got a virtual rosary site where I can pray the rosary before getting off-line at night. This helps me focus otherwise I'll see something I need to clean! ;)
I find it helpful to have a few short prayers memorized. There is one I especially like to say in the middle of the night. I'm not sure but I think it came from an old called book To Jesus Through Mary by Mother Mary Potter. "I am all Thine and all that I have is Thine, O my Sweet Jesus, through Mary, Thy most holy Mother."
I recently found your blog and have been enjoying the posts.
This one, in particular, seems very timely for me. I seem to have time (these days anyway) but struggle to "be still and know that I am God" (Ps 46:11). I love the idea of offering my day up to God before it ever gets started.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Hi Alexandra,
Thank you so much for your prayer tips. I am sure that they will help other Moms. I know what you mean about seeing something that needs cleaning! :)
God bless,
Donna
Hi Margaret Mary,
Thanks for that. I like to do that too and I LOVE that prayer. I have heard it before. I often say, "Jesus, Mary, I love you, save souls." Mother Teresa taught me to say, "Mary, Mother of Jesus, be a mother to me now."
God bless,
Donna
Hi Christie,
Welcome! I'm glad you visited. Thanks for mentioning to "be still." It's so important to try to find a bit of silence to listen to God. Not an easy task in a noisy world, but it is possible and He is waiting to whisper to our souls.
God bless!
Donna
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