Work as if it were a prayer

“There are some people who, in order not to pray, use as an excuse the fact that life is so hectic that it prevents them from praying. This cannot be. Prayer does not demand that we interrupt our work, but that we continue working as if it were a prayer. It is not necessary to always be meditating, nor to consciously experience the sensation that we are talking to God, no matter how nice this would be. What matters is being with him, living in him, in his will. To love with a pure heart, to love everybody, especially to love the poor, is a twenty-four-hour prayer.”–Mother Teresa

A mother’s life is one of perpetual interruptions. The babies tug at pant legs wanting to be held. The school children require help at the kitchen table with their mathe homework. The older children need rides to and from various activities. And no one can seem to find anything in the house without help. Although it is necessary to carve out quiet times alone to worship, not only is it often times a rarity, there can also be a danger in assuming that our everyday walking around life is less spiritual than time set apart for worship. For you see, all of life is a holy moment, an opportunity to worship.

Instead of fragmenting our lives into various units of responsibilities, God wants us to thrive holistically, communing together with Him throughout our whole of our existence. No task is beneath the ability to be used as worship unto Him.

We can redeem all of our time, and all of our work, for His glory.

Even as stay at home moms, we can:

• Pray over each member of our family as we fold laundry, asking God to fit them with His spiritual armor (Eph. 6) and to clothe them with compassion, righteousness, and humility.
• Put on praise and worship music in the car. There are some great songs out there, even for little ones (check out these, or these, that will infuse scripture into their hearts and minds.
• List the things we are grateful for about our home and life as we vacuum room to room.
• Set written Scriptures by the kitchen sink for meditation as the dishes are being washed.
• Listen to a sermon on podcast while we cook dinner or bake cookies.(I like him, or him, or him, or him) Lay a love note on the pillows of each of our family members after we put clean sheets on their bed.
• Teach our children to do a household chore along side of us, showing them how to work as unto the Lord.
• Confess our sins as we clean out the shower or toilet bowls, thanking Christ that He washes us clean.
• Put note cards and a Bible in the glove compartment of our car. When we a have a few moments at carpool pick up, we can write something encouraging to a friend, or get caught up on Scripture reading.
• As we tuck our children into bed, remind them that the Holy Spirit is their comforter, keeping them safe and warm with His presence.

And the list could go on.

Every work is kingdom work when it is done unto the Lord (Col. 3:17; 3:23; 1 Cor. 10:31), no matter how mundane or trivial it may seem.

“God has created us so we do small things with great love. I believe in that great love, that comes, or should come from our heart, should start at home: with my family, my neighbors across the street, those right next door. And this love should then reach everyone.” Mother Teresa

May we look at every aspect of our life, no matter how big or small, and re-purpose it for worship.

A redemptive home maker,