How does a mother pray?

When many people think about prayer, they probably envision a solemn scene. Maybe you think of the type of prayer in a traditional church, full of a serious tone and rich vocabulary. Maybe you picture a priest saying the prayer, or maybe it is something you think you have to have a special set aside time for. And maybe all of these preconceived notions keep you from actually enjoying the act of prayer.

In my view, prayer is more simple. It is merely the act of sharing my heart and talking to God. It can happen in church, and it can be serious. Or it can happen anytime, anywhere, and about anything! That is how much our creator God loves us. There are no barriers for coming to him. I know little children are often taught to pray with their eyes closed, but sometimes even the act of talking to our God with our eyes open and seeing all He has created can bring praise.

So how then does a mother pray? How do I pray? I love the idea of having a perfect set aside time to read the Bible and talk with God at the same time every day. For me, this just doesn't always happen. You might be saying, but couldn't you wake up extra early and have this special time with the Lord? Yes, I can, and sometimes I do, but honestly my kids have this intense radar. Their radar senses the moments I am awake. It's like their little hearts worry that I will be lonely if they don't wake up as soon as I do. For me to get anything do in the morning, I have to move around like a ninja spy. So early morning quiet times don't always work for me. I try to be intentional about having a quiet time when they are both resting, sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn't.

I pray most going throughout my day. The Bible teaches us to "pray without ceasing" and to me this means to keep talking to God all day long. When I'm washing dishes, I pray. When I'm folding laundry, I pray. When I'm mad at my child, and I'm not sure how to discipline in the best way, I cry out to the one who made her and knows her soul even more than I do. I even pray in the bathroom, because sometimes that is the quietest place for me to be. Yesterday I was ready to sit down and read my Bible and pray while my kids were sleeping/playing quietly and Eva started making a lot of distracting noise from her room. So I turned on our bathroom fan, and went and sat inside our bedroom closet so I could have some precious time to talk to God.

My point in sharing all of this is to simply encourage you to pray. It doesn't matter if you know all the right words. Just share your heart with God. Pray out loud, or quietly in your heart. Pray in the car or in the shower. God just wants you. Your worries, your sadness. Your praise, your love, your time, your attention.

This morning I read the Psalm 22 that teaches that God inhabits the praise of his people. I know I need God right beside me all day long, so the best way for me to call upon Him is to continually praise him.