Living with a spouse who doesn’t share your beliefs about God can often bring tension, stress, uncertainty and a myriad of other emotions. In the midst of it all, God asks us to love unconditionally, lavish respect, and bring peace to our homes. Often this means we need to come to Jesus daily to drink from his living waters. Part of this is worship, prayer and time in God’s Word.
Amid the busyness of life, this can be challenging if not almost impossible. After all, there’s lunches to make, household chores,chauffeuring the kids to and fro school, meeting kids needs, supporting your spouse, work, bills, the list goes on. Time is limiting with only 24 hours in a day; eight of these hours find you sleeping, if you are lucky enough to get that much sleep.
Is God asking too much? Is life asking too much?
Often my answer to these questions have been a resounding YES. The reality is I need my time with God. This is more than snippets here and there as good as what those are. I need to sit in his presence. For a few moments, I need to be Mary not Martha. I’ve had to trust God to redeem time or increase my productivity. The more dependent I am on Jesus the better able I am to love my family.
I find myself relearning the necessity of praying in the spirit (when you don’t know what to pray) as I focus myself on the lover of my soul. Oh to hear his voice prompting me in prayer. I listen to his heart as I ask him to shine his light on those situations that seem dark. He brings perspective and wisdom.
And pray in the Spir
it on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all 1 John 1:15b
Those days where my heart is aching as I continue to face my giants and mountains, I pour out my heart as an act of worship. My heart cries out “God I will trust you in all of this. See, I will declare your goodness, kindness and faithfulness.” I cling to him, the rock of my salvation. He is the one who will see me through. As I experience his love, gentleness and patience, I am able to treat my husband and children in the same way. You can only give what you have.
Loving my husband is easy when I am loved by God. My role as a wife is to love and respect my husband, allowing my actions and heart to minister to him. Changing his views or defending God is actually the Holy Spirit’s job. In this place, Holy Spirit comes and brings a fresh perspective often prompting me in my behavior so that I love from the overflow of my heart and with joy.
How do we make time for God in our busy lives?
- Find that 20-30 minutes in your day when you can sit with God and read the Bible. For me this is either before I go to sleep or when I am having my breakfast. I want to start and end my day with God. During this time, I talk to God, pray, meditate and read the Bible. I find myself strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
- YouTube has become a great tool for me to stream worship without having to collect a large pile of CD’s that will soon get scratched. I stream my favorite worship or the playlists my favorite artists have on YouTube. This has been incredibly refreshing. Sometimes I find the Lord leading me to receive from him during certain songs. His presence comes and wraps me while I open my heart to him. I also love to play worship with the boys around to model a lifestyle of worship to them. It’s good for them to see mommy worshiping and to be in the Lord’s presence.
- Pray at all times. I often find myself praying while I cook, drive the car or in the shower. This is a way to keep my heart focused on God throughout the day. I also love to pray with my boys at night. By doing this I teach them the value of prayer, cover them in prayer, and commune with God.
What are some of the ways that you have found helpful in spending time with Jesus?
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I also love to play music via YouTube. I also listen to sermons on my way to and from work, running errands, etc. It never fails that the word I need always plays at the right time. Thanks for the reminder of how important it is for us to make time for God!
Wow Keishawna. I also find that God knows just what to send our way whether its through sermons, music, friends, etc. He loves to show us His love for us. Glad you enjoyed the post
This is so beautiful! I see what strength you receive from your time with God and how you can love deeply and face uncertainties..I really the You Tube idea..never thought of that! Love how you find time as busy mom to center yourself..God is surely the foundation of your family and life. Visiting from Christian Bloggers Unite.
Thanks so much Kathy. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Such great tips and encouraging scripture!
Thanks Chris, glad you enjoyed it.
Beautifully written, and so true! I find the days I don’t make the time for the Lord are always so much more difficult. I love starting out my day in His Word. It brings me so much peace. My husband shares my beliefs, but not nearly as exuberantly, nor does he spend anytime in the Lord’s Word.
“As I experience his love, gentleness and patience, I am able to treat my husband and children in the same way.” I love this!
Thanks Jodi. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Will pray for your husband’s relationship with the Lord to deepen.
Allie, these are all great suggestions for abiding in God. Yesterday, I found myself listening to an audible book about God while I was running. Sometimes I pray while I run and thank God for all He has done for me. I have been known to post notecards around the house of scripture I am meditating on when I am limited on time to sit still so that I can read it, think it, speak it, pray it while I’m cooking, cleaning, making lunches etc. Love your blog and it seems we have something in common praying for our husbands.
That’s great Jenny. Great tip to keep meditating on God through those time limitations. I’ve had to learn to commune with God throughout the day too. It does make a difference. Will be praying for your husband and mine
I like to write down bible verses and keep them in different places to remind me. Great reminders in your article .
Thanks Dawn. I love your idea of writing Scripture down. Great tip
Hi Ailie!
I found this helpful, as I am writing an article on this very topic for a Christian young ladies’ magazine! It is a very important topic. Coming into God’s presence every day really is one of the most important things we can do for our family, as it affects everything else we do for them that day! In our house we have Bible mottoes on the walls, in calligraphy handwriting on beautiful nature backgrounds. It helps to remind us of God’s truths throughout the day.
Thank you and blessings!
That’s beautiful Gabrielle. I must start writing verses down onto beautiful backgrounds as home decor. What a great idea!