I was talking with a group of moms with preschoolers this week and I was encouraging them in their personal relationship with God as a benefit to them as mothers and wives. I didn’t have much time and even as I was speaking, I thought…man, this needs more…some real application tied to it.

Thankfully, I was wrapping up when one of the moms raised her hand and asked the question I hoped someone would ask so I could address it. She said,

“I 100% agree, I need to invest in my relationship with God, but when? There are demands on me constantly.”

Oh, I love her honesty because it is always the temptation to talk about what we SHOULD be doing but what about HOW we realistically get it done?

So, let’s talk about it!

Here are 4 tips to making time for your relationship with God.

1. Start with grace. Give yourself some grace. All the shoulds can leave us feeling defeated instead of empowered. We concoct an image of what investing in a relationship with God looks like that probably includes a cup of coffee, a fire in the fireplace, and soft worship music in the background. My heart is calmed and overwhelmed all at the same time with that image.

There may be seasons when that image is a reflection of your time alone with God but there are plenty of seasons when it just isn’t. That’s okay. If you don’t recreate that image every time you meet with God, you’re not a failure. Does environment help? Of course, but it isn’t everything. What about believers imprisoned for their faith? Do you think they enjoy a calming environment? Are they still able to connect and grow in relationship with God? You bet!

Give yourself some grace and let go of whatever image you’ve created in your mind to represent your time alone with God.

2. Make an appointment. It seems like meeting with God should be something that just happens. It also seems to me that if I buy workout equipment, I should be more fit. But that’s just not how it works. You need a plan.

For some people, its first thing in the morning before everyone else gets up but for others, it’s during your lunch break at work, nap time for your littles or even before you go to bed. I personally think there is a benefit to early in the morning but that’s not feasible for everyone. When is that time for you? It may not be readily available. You may have to move some things around or change the regular time you wake up but when are you going to meet with God? Make an appointment. Put it in your phone or calendar and keep it. If you miss an appointment, show up to it the next day.

3. Have a plan for your time. Whether you are using a devotional book, a reading plan, or a Bible study book, make a plan for your time. I personally have a plan that I’m using to read through the Bible, a short devotional book and a journal for my prayer time. I have 3 separate books (journal, Bible and devotional/Bible Study book) that I have with me for my time with God. And I always have a pen to write down what God is teaching me and showing me.

You can check out some resources I offer here.

4. Ask for help. As part of a body of believers, we aren’t designed to grow alone. Maybe you need to ask your spouse to take over with the kids so you can have 15 minutes of quiet to meet with God. Or maybe you need someone who will help keep you accountable by texting you about your time alone with God. Ask someone to help you. Don’t try to go at it alone.

These are just a few tips to help with the HOW of meeting with God. I don’t live your life. You may need to think of creative ways to make time for the most important relationship you have. But, do it…make time, think creatively. You may even need to ask someone to think creatively with you!

It may seem like you are overwhelmed with demands and there just simply isn’t time. It is probably true that you ARE overwhelmed with demands but consider what’s most important and do that FIRST. It is a crazy thing how when we live our priorities, the things that TRULY need to be done are done and those that really weren’t that important either still get done or just weren’t actually as important as we once thought.

I’d love to hear some of the creative ways you’ve prioritized your relationship with God and given it the time needed to grow. I’m certain, it would be a blessing to others as we all look for ways to honor God with our time and investing in the relationship with Him.