The Effective Mom 5-Day Devotional for the Busy Momనమూనా

Day 1: Love and Prioritize God

Scripture:

• Deuteronomy 6:5–9
• Mark 1:35
• Philippians 4:13

Devotional (Teaching):

Look, let’s be honest, life is busy. We have so many roles that we occupy in a day. We wear so many hats. It can be a bit daunting, and we feel like we need more than 24 hours in a day. I get it. I have been there... I am still there. I do so much and I feel like I have so much more to do.

I am a mom of two. With my first, it was easier to do quiet time and still do all I needed to do in the home. I even had a prayer chair in my bedroom. I felt like this is easy!

But when I had my second child, oh boy! I felt like I moved from being a mom of one to a mom of five. She was a peaceful baby, but she had really bad eczema. I was up at night, trying to soothe her because she was so uncomfortable. By the time I was done, it was morning, and I was super tired.

What helped me were four things:

1. Praying for wisdom
2. Planning for it: choose a time of the day that works best for you. There is nothing wrong with getting up early and spending quiet time in the Bible or a devotional. Mark 1:35 even speaks of Jesus doing this.
3. Having accountability: a daily devotion and choosing to make God my priority.
4. Recognizing I am human: I do fall off sometimes, but I don't beat myself up when I fail.

Activity:

• Pray: “Lord God, help me to make You my daily priority.”
• In your journal, create a “Time With God” plan:
  Time | Duration | Place | Agenda (Prayer, Worship, Bible Study)
• Choose a devotional from the resource centre in an area where you want to grow.
• Make a list of all the things that may distract you or cause inconsistency, and present them to God.
• Choose an accountability partner and track your consistency.

Affirmation:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)