As busy homeschooling moms, it is one thing to know we need to pray, but it is another thing entirely to be make prayer a priority in the course of a busy day. I thought I would list out some practical ways to strengthen your prayer life—no matter how busy you are. These are just tips and tricks I have picked up along the way through my own experience or from people I respect. I hope you can take a few of them and apply them to your life immediately. I know that when your prayer life is strong, your walk with God and your time with Him is magnified a hundredfold.

Commit to spending the first moments of your day in prayer before you even get out of the bed. Get in the habit of devoting just a few minutes before you put your feet on the floor just claiming the day for Him and offering up all you will do for His glory and the good of His kingdom. Starting the day this way will help your perspective with whatever you have facing you—be it whiny kids or a demanding boss. Doing this daily will eventually become a habit.

When you feel yourself start to worry, use those thoughts as an immediate trigger to begin silently praying, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Make your mealtimes a time for significant prayer. Whether this is something your whole family does, or just something you observe on your own, praying before you eat can become more than a quick, “Thank your for this food.”

Instead of spending your prayer time begging God for a list of needs, designate a time each day to do nothing but reflect on God’s goodness to you and your family. Meditating on God’s gifts and help is a great way to strengthen your faith. As you reflect on what He has done, you will have confidence in what He will do.

Post index cards or post-it notes around your house to remind you of things to pray for. This can include prayer requests and praises. Every time you see the notes, pray immediately.

Before you dive right into your prayers, spend some time being silent before God. Ask Him to speak to you in the silence. If you can, journal what He is telling you—whether it’s a word or phrase He brings to mind, a passage of Scripture He directs you to, or a word picture He gives you—get it down on paper so you can reflect on it later.

Trying To Keep My Ducks In A Row,