When I was a young guy, going after Jesus, I used to fast and pray and read the Bible all the time. Time was like a commodity without limit. Now, with two kids, time seems like a priceless treasure, for which I would pay any price!
If you are a parent, you are inevidably tired. We spend our lives from dawn until dark serving our kids. We work, we commute, we go to Fall Festivals (as I did last night), we volunteer at school functions, we do homework together, we read together, we leave it all on the court to help them develop into awesome young men and women of God. Then we collapse on the couch and put our feet up. Parenting is TIRING!
So, with limited time and energy available, coffee with Jesus has become absolutely essential. Coffee with Jesus would be a quick “quiet time” to start each day. Carrie and I set our coffeemaker to brew early, and spend 15 minutes with Jesus before the kids come rolling out of their slumber and into our sphere. We read a devotional or short passage of Scripture, ask each other how we can serve one another through the day, then pray for each other. All over our morning cup of Starbucks’ Sumatra. More intense times of study are essential, too. But this “quick strike” approach keeps us centered with the Holy Spirit.
We know from the Word that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:16). Let me encourage you to withdraw to a lonely place often and pray. Preferrably with your spouse. Seek God and get your spiritual flow aligned with Him each day. You are gonna need it for your kids. Yep, you know it!
Those super-extendo prayer sessions from your college days may be sparse these days. So, when they come…SAVOR THEM! In the meantime, find a quiet, consistent, SHORT and SUSTAINABLE time each day, and grab a cup with the Lord.
PJW
Filed under: Parenting Tips and Resources, Uncategorized
