When your spiritual walk feels like another item on your to-do list

You became a mom because you wanted to. You love being a mom and you love your kids. Many things have changed since your name went from Wendy, Rachel or Abby to "MOM" but one thing you didn't think would be impacted was your relationship with God. Like me, you might have believed a lot of the things you saw on Pinterest and social media and thought you'd continue having devotions like normal when your kids napped or were quietly watching their favorite show. Then reality hit:

• the crying jag that wouldn't end - no nap

• the playdate that ran long - no nap

• overtired kids who can't fall asleep - no nap

• 40 questions during a 30 minute show - no nap

Slowly, the time you meant to spend with God got interrupted so frequently that you didn't realize you were no longer spending much time at all with Him. In fact, the few moments a week you managed to read your Bible and pray felt more like checking another item off your to-do list rather than cultivating a relationship with your heavenly Father. If this sounds familiar and you hate how your daily devotions feel like another thing you feel guilty about, then today's post is for you. Let's look at the best ways you can prioritize your relationship with God without creating more items for your to-do list.

Habit- Stacking Prayers

You may have heard of habit stacking before. Basically, you find something you already do every day and pair it with the new task you want to become a habit. In this case, you want to deepen your walk with God, so one habit you probably already have is a morning cup of coffee. Here's how you habit stack and use this quiet time while you wait for the coffee to brew - grab a post-it and write down one person, situation, or struggle and stick it to the side of the coffee pot. When you get up in the morning, you'll hit the start button, see the post-it, and talk with God during the time it takes for the pot to fill.

You can put another post-it on the bathroom mirror so that you use the time you brush your teeth and wash your face to talk with God. Stick another post-it on the visor in your car to remind you to pray before you back out of the driveway. Place a post-it on your nightstand so that when you get into bed, you can end your day talking with God.

What I want you to notice is that all the time you spent praying was when you were in the process of doing other things you already do naturally each day. In this way, you begin to develop a day-long conversation with God that doesn't require you to set aside hours and hours or add anything to your to-do list. After all, you want your relationship with God to feel like a relationship, not an obligation.

Practice Gratitude

It never ceases to amaze me how much I take for granted. When I start listing things that I am thankful for, My breathing slows, my face starts smiling, and I am overwhelmed with just how much God has blessed me with. It's so easy to focus on the things that annoy, stress, and cause anxiety and fear. The good news is that God has given us a powerful weapon to fight all of those things - gratitude. Scientists have even proven that over time, practicing gratitude improves our mental health, physical health, and social interactions.

You may be wondering how listing things you're thankful for helps your relationship with God to get better. During the time it takes you to list 10 things you are thankful for, you will naturally start to praise and thank God, realize how many good gifts He has poured out on you, and stop focusing on the negative things you can't control. In fact, I'm willing to bet that giving thanks will shift your frame of mind so that you ask God to help you trust Him to take care of whatever burden is weighing on your heart.

The great news is that the more you practice gratitude, the more naturally and easily it will come, and you will find that it often leads you straight into another conversation with God!

Ask God for Help

God wants nothing more than to be closer to you, to help you, to guide you, and to be your Father. If you're struggling to figure out how to build a better relationship, there's no better way to do it than to ask Him for help. You have no idea the plans God has in store for you and how He will accomplish them, but you trust Him to take care of you and guide you through life. So why not take this concern in prayer to Him? He's not waiting to punish you or make you feel guilty. He wants to spend time with you, and when you ask for His help, he will answer your prayer.

Maybe quiet time for you happens at the end of a day rather than the beginning. Maybe you find the perfect time to read your Bible when your kids are at a playdate or while your husband is giving them a bath. Maybe a friend has a brilliant suggestion that works just perfectly for you. My point is that there are solutions to this problem you want help with that you may not be able to see. Once you start asking God for His help, He is going to bring things to your mind to help you see the answer.

Being a mom is one of the best things you will ever be. While there will be seasons of hurry and seasons of steady, the one thing that never changes is God. He loves you, He longs to spend time with you, and He does not call to you through guilt or shame. He calls to you with love. I hope the suggestions I offered in today's post help you find ways to talk with God throughout your day and deepen your relationship with Him.

If you incorporate these tips into your daily life, I'd love to hear from you what you tried and what worked!