9 Ways to Connect with God as a Busy Mom
by Alexis Tanner Lane
When I was pregnant with my first baby, back when I thought I knew a lot about parenting, I was at church and we were talking about scripture study with the young women. I remember one of the leaders talking about how sometimes just reading a few quick verses in the scriptures during breakfast was all she had time for that day. I remember thinking that surely she had more time than that to study her scriptures! But now, 5 kids later, I completely understand and identify with what she shared. Finding time for scripture study throughout my motherhood journey has been challenging. With sleepless nights, newborn babies, busy toddlers, and busy schedules, it’s taken some trial and error to figure out how I could devote time to scripture study each day.
A deep, in-depth study of the scriptures isn’t really possible for me right now because of the stage of motherhood I’m in. And even if I wanted to, I don’t have any time throughout the day without at least one child by my side. My kids are like magnets, they always seem to find me! Some moms are able to get up before their kids. My son, however, was up at 5:50am this morning and that’s normal for him. He takes after his dad. By the time night comes around, I’m so exhausted from the day that the thought of using my brain seems horrible.
But I don’t believe we have to be spending 30 minutes in the scriptures every day to be able to connect with God. There are a lot of different ways that we can commune with Him throughout the day. As I’ve been trying different things and listening to other women around me in conversations, podcasts, and articles, I have gathered a few ideas to help us connect with God even when we don’t have a lot of time to give.
Memorize Scriptures
I remember listening to the talk by Elder Scott about the power of scriptures. He said the scriptures “…can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed.” When we memorize our favorite scriptures, they can come to our mind when we need help or direction, when we’re driving, or when we’re getting ready for bed. Reciting scriptures allows us to be in the scriptures without having them in our hands.
Pray In The Shower
One of my favorite places to pray is in the shower. It’s warm, quiet, and I’m alone. It’s wonderful! If you’re like me, you have shower routines that go on autopilot. It’s pretty common for me to forget if I washed my face or not! Since showering doesn’t take much brain power, we can use that time instead to pray and ponder and really think through things we need help with. I often get ideas and answers in the shower too.
Pray On The Go
Lots of moms spend a lot of time in their cars. When you find yourself alone, turn off the tunes, and pray. Maybe even try praying out loud. And this doesn’t even need to be a “traditional prayer.” I heard on the Spiritually Minded Women podcast by Darla Trendler, that her friend likes to talk to God as if He’s in the passenger seat with her. I know I would love to have a face to face conversation with our Heavenly Father about what’s going on in my life, so why not pretend that we are?
Listen
I love the technology we have to listen to podcasts and talks from our phones. When I’m getting ready in the morning, I listen to BYU devotionals or scripture study podcasts. Or you can listen to the scriptures straight from the Church app. You can listen when you exercise, fold laundry, wait in the carpool line, or clean the house. Before you start listening to your audio book or favorite podcast, listen to something that connects your Spirit to God.
Be Prepared
Sometimes as moms, we only have a few moments of free time and we don’t always know where or when it will be, so it’s great to be ready for it. Have your scriptures, journal, notebook, Conference talks, whatever you want to read, ready together so that you can sit down and jump in. Maybe even have multiple copies around the house so that wherever you happen to be, you can sit down and read for a few minutes.
Leave It In Sight
Sometimes we get so busy with the events of the morning that we forget to read our scriptures. I remember hearing once, that someone who wanted to start a habit of reading their scriptures would just leave them out on the kitchen table. They would walk by and get used to seeing them and then after a few days, they started sitting down and reading them. Having them out will help remind us to have a few minutes in the scriptures. I also set an alarm on my phone for everything. You should see the list on my phone! Setting an alarm to read your scriptures at the same time each day may also help you remember to read them.
Artwork
I love meaningful artwork throughout my home. Quotes, art, and photographs that represent my beliefs. Having those art pieces around reminds me of my Father in Heaven and keeping Him and the Savior on my mind throughout the day is another way to connect with them.
Follow Uplifting People on Instagram
There are lots of good Instagram profiles, especially done by members of the church, that share daily thoughts, art, and video about the gospel. Try to follow the ones that help you feel the Spirit so you can see them pop up as you scroll through your feed. Then make sure you like their posts so Instagram is more likely to show you more of them.
Involve Your Kids
I’m reading the Book of Mormon to my kids at night. We only read a column or two and most of the time they aren’t listening, but sometimes they do and sometimes we even have a discussion about it. And sometimes that’s all the scripture study I got that day, and that’s ok.
I think it’s important to give yourself some grace and do what you can. Find those little moments throughout the day where you can connect with God. He wants to hear from you and I think if we’re mindful of Him and trying our best with the chaos of motherhood, then we can be proud of our efforts. It’s a challenging season as a mom, but a great one too.
Alexis Tanner is a mother to 5 kids. She’s a podcaster who loves reading, learning about different cultures and languages, doing family history work, and teaching. You can find her at her podcast Parenting in Real Life or on Instagram @alexistannerlane.