Q: What advice would you give mothers with young children about how they can spend time in the Word and prayer?

A: Every mother knows that once her young child is awake in the morning, that child needs her undivided attention almost every minute of the day. One answer to finding time in the Word of God and prayer is to make the time before your children are awake. But for new mothers who are busy feeding their children or nursing and rocking their babies, there’s no reason why you can’t rock your baby while praying in other tongues or thinking about a scripture that’s been on your heart. 

The key is, you have to do it on purpose. Most of the cares of the household and child-raising falls on mothers. You have to choose on purpose to do something to renew your mind with God’s Word (see Romans 12:2). Another reason for this is, if you don’t renew your mind while raising your children, there’s no overflow in your own heart and life to give to them. 

Your flesh will make excuses for not spending quality time with the Lord. So you must decide you’re going to fit the Word and prayer time into your day, and you must do it on purpose. 

If your spirit is being fed the Word of God every day, you’ll have something to give to others, including your children. For example, reading the Bible to your children is so important, as well as sharing with them what certain verses mean to you. And even before your children are born, you can read to your child who’s in your womb. And you can put your hand over your baby — because that baby can hear you — and speak the Word of God to him or her. You just have to do it on purpose; otherwise, you’ll wait until it’s too late in the day when you’re too tired, and your mind will make excuses. 

If you don’t make the Word and prayer a priority in your life on purpose, it simply won’t happen.