Working Out "Quiet Time"
I am a different person when I am in the word daily, seriously.
Since the Operation Pillar of Defense, (which I prefer to call Pillar Cloud), I have had a true hunger for the word. The manifest presence of God that I experienced combined with the shaking of my flesh that occurred that week gave me a taste of Matt 24:35 where Yeshua says:
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
As I've prayed and sought Him about how to be better spiritually prepared for the next conflict, His constant leading is...
Stay in my Word.
In terms of my heart condition, that's not hard right now... sometimes it is... but not right now. I know that I need Him. His word is eternal and I desire to be filled with the things that will last beyond today. So often I wish I could sit and soak up scripture all day long, but the needs of living in this present age persist. My Mary heart has to turn to necessary Martha work.
I can't sit and read the bible all day, or lay on my face bathing in the Spirit under the fragrant sound of worship music like I could when I was single, or married without a child. Even the discipline of getting up and starting my day in with bible reading has become more of a memory than a reality as little hands paw all over me the minute the sun rises, "Can we get up, Ima? The sun's up now. I want cereal and cow's milk." Then, "Play cars with me... Play trains with me..."
Not to mention hand washing dishes, line drying laundry, maintaining all the dust in the summer from open windows, and mildew management in the winter due to persistent rains. It takes a lot of work to keep an orderly home in the Land. I'm on my feet all day long, and I crash at the end of the day.
When Aviel was a small baby, I would sit and nurse him and read the bible, but his needs have changed. I went through a season where I remember saying, "Lord, I miss you!" The Lord was so good to meet me where I was was, powerfully maximizing short times with Him. I'm deeply and desperately hungry for the Lord right now, so I want more of Him... more time with Him.
What I'm finding to help is to embrace this idea of starting my day in the word by turning on some scripture to music. Aviel and I listen to all sorts of worship music as well, but something about having the straight forward word of God to music empowers my day. Even if its only on passively in the background, I'm still absorbing it, and so is Aviel.
Right now, I have three different musical resources I'm using for this: Seeds Family Worship, Glory Revealed, and Hidden in My Heart Scripture Lullabies. (If you know of others please pass along titles, links, etc!). *
Next, I'm trying to take full advantage of Aviel's naptime as a time for building my understanding and knowledge of scripture through listening to strong bible teachings. My favorite, right now, is a podcast by Nancy Leigh Demoss called Revive Our Hearts. She regularly has expository teachings on various passages in the bible, and her anointing to teach the word is incredibly strong. I listen while I go through my afternoon cleaning routine, but often times end up on on my knees in a prayer posture, asking the Lord to make His word real in my life. His presence is that powerful through her show.
Another important matter is actually reading my bible! The best way to go about this, for me, is to leave my bible open someplace in the living room or kitchen. I can always squeeze in a Psalm on a busy day, or get into some deeper reading and study while Aviel is sleeping. Having my bible open and present is a great reminder to dig in! And sometimes its a matter of making a personal choice to disconnect from social media, phone calls, or general web surfing, and spend time with the Lord instead.
My friend, Bethany, one time shared that she reads scripture to her three precious little girls when they stop to eat. "I want them to know that we don't just feed our bodies, but we feed our souls as well." The wisdom the Lord gave her to implement this into their day is quite profound. It works on a practical level, keeping bible reading a regular part of their day. Its sowing something much greater into her children, transcending beyond meeting their physical needs.
Another wise friend, Kris, who is a mother of six shared that she makes a point to pray over each of her children while she folds their clothes. As I've implemented this practice into my laundry routine, so not only are Devin and Aviel prayed over as I pull shirts and pants off the line, but it also makes serving them a joy, as I lift my eyes above the sacrifice and work involved.
So, how about you? How are you making a point to prioritize your relationship with the Lord during this season of raising small children? I'd love to hear about what's working in your heart and in your home.
* I don't receive any form of income or compensation from this blog. Anything I recommend is 100% because its something I enjoy!
Related Posts:
Gilad Shalit and My Last Days Baby
Lessons in Line Drying
Since the Operation Pillar of Defense, (which I prefer to call Pillar Cloud), I have had a true hunger for the word. The manifest presence of God that I experienced combined with the shaking of my flesh that occurred that week gave me a taste of Matt 24:35 where Yeshua says:
Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
As I've prayed and sought Him about how to be better spiritually prepared for the next conflict, His constant leading is...
Stay in my Word.
In terms of my heart condition, that's not hard right now... sometimes it is... but not right now. I know that I need Him. His word is eternal and I desire to be filled with the things that will last beyond today. So often I wish I could sit and soak up scripture all day long, but the needs of living in this present age persist. My Mary heart has to turn to necessary Martha work.
I can't sit and read the bible all day, or lay on my face bathing in the Spirit under the fragrant sound of worship music like I could when I was single, or married without a child. Even the discipline of getting up and starting my day in with bible reading has become more of a memory than a reality as little hands paw all over me the minute the sun rises, "Can we get up, Ima? The sun's up now. I want cereal and cow's milk." Then, "Play cars with me... Play trains with me..."
Not to mention hand washing dishes, line drying laundry, maintaining all the dust in the summer from open windows, and mildew management in the winter due to persistent rains. It takes a lot of work to keep an orderly home in the Land. I'm on my feet all day long, and I crash at the end of the day.
When Aviel was a small baby, I would sit and nurse him and read the bible, but his needs have changed. I went through a season where I remember saying, "Lord, I miss you!" The Lord was so good to meet me where I was was, powerfully maximizing short times with Him. I'm deeply and desperately hungry for the Lord right now, so I want more of Him... more time with Him.
What I'm finding to help is to embrace this idea of starting my day in the word by turning on some scripture to music. Aviel and I listen to all sorts of worship music as well, but something about having the straight forward word of God to music empowers my day. Even if its only on passively in the background, I'm still absorbing it, and so is Aviel.
Right now, I have three different musical resources I'm using for this: Seeds Family Worship, Glory Revealed, and Hidden in My Heart Scripture Lullabies. (If you know of others please pass along titles, links, etc!). *
Next, I'm trying to take full advantage of Aviel's naptime as a time for building my understanding and knowledge of scripture through listening to strong bible teachings. My favorite, right now, is a podcast by Nancy Leigh Demoss called Revive Our Hearts. She regularly has expository teachings on various passages in the bible, and her anointing to teach the word is incredibly strong. I listen while I go through my afternoon cleaning routine, but often times end up on on my knees in a prayer posture, asking the Lord to make His word real in my life. His presence is that powerful through her show.
Another important matter is actually reading my bible! The best way to go about this, for me, is to leave my bible open someplace in the living room or kitchen. I can always squeeze in a Psalm on a busy day, or get into some deeper reading and study while Aviel is sleeping. Having my bible open and present is a great reminder to dig in! And sometimes its a matter of making a personal choice to disconnect from social media, phone calls, or general web surfing, and spend time with the Lord instead.
My friend, Bethany, one time shared that she reads scripture to her three precious little girls when they stop to eat. "I want them to know that we don't just feed our bodies, but we feed our souls as well." The wisdom the Lord gave her to implement this into their day is quite profound. It works on a practical level, keeping bible reading a regular part of their day. Its sowing something much greater into her children, transcending beyond meeting their physical needs.
Another wise friend, Kris, who is a mother of six shared that she makes a point to pray over each of her children while she folds their clothes. As I've implemented this practice into my laundry routine, so not only are Devin and Aviel prayed over as I pull shirts and pants off the line, but it also makes serving them a joy, as I lift my eyes above the sacrifice and work involved.
So, how about you? How are you making a point to prioritize your relationship with the Lord during this season of raising small children? I'd love to hear about what's working in your heart and in your home.
* I don't receive any form of income or compensation from this blog. Anything I recommend is 100% because its something I enjoy!
Related Posts:
Gilad Shalit and My Last Days Baby
Lessons in Line Drying
Wonderful post Callie! I shared in my last post how I approach Bible study (now that I have two cuties to keep up with, I usually do that while they play together after breakfast). We also enjoy listening to Seeds and other worship music. I just love the convenience of podcasts; I find them to be often quite convicting as well as inspirational.
ReplyDeleteFor family prayer, in addition to our Bible/prayer time in the evening, I pray with the girls first thing in the morning. It's a short & sweet prayer--we each thank the Lord for the day and ask Him to help us make good choices, pray for each other and Daddy, and so on. My five year old is also learning to offer up spontaneous prayers of thanks, supplication, etc. throughout the day--so precious.
I think one of my biggest challenges is time management. My hope is that the way I order my day will reflect a heart dedicated to the Lord and that this will influence my daughters to put Him first in their lives. With His strength this seemingly impossible task is doable, and thankfully no matter how often I may fall short, His perfection is boundless! This encourages me to persevere in His strength.
Beautiful words. I've been silently reflecting on these ideas as well, the many ways in which I find God among all the dailiness of life.
ReplyDeleteOur favourite musical Scripture CD is Songs for Saplings; I'll have to check out the ones you use, too.