Ephesians 5:18

Address one another in Psalms and humans and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of severance for Christ’

Speaking God’s word out loud and memorising a Psalm (even when I’m tired and the house is a mess)

After breakfast, the table is cleared and sticky fingers are wiped, and colouring pencils come out and a piece of paper, and Bible stories. We read the word of God, and often, I find tears filling my eyes because as I proclaim the Word of God in my home, something shifts. I am reminded that my little life and my home and my hard day is the Lord’s, and I have the opportunity to praise Him and depend in Him because He cares. Thank you Abba Father. Thank you Abba Father. Speak the Words of God aloud in your home; soak your speech in songs and Psalms, giving thanks always to God the Father. We memorised Psalm 1 and created actions to it; during our 3 week bout of house-bound sickness, speaking Scripture aloud – even in the middle of the night as we woke up coughing – was a consolation and comfort.

To really be with God and receive from Him, we must open His word. His Word is living and active; it is a light to our feet and a lamp to our paths; He is the Bread of Life, Creator, Father and incredibly worthy of all your attention, time and delight. Distractions will seep in; the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, but our Father is loving and He is Holy. He delights in our worship.

How do we integrate the Word and prayer into our lives? Soak in the Word of God and read Scripture aloud daily.

I’ve had to re-think my times with Jesus since having Ezekiel. My ‘free time’ is very limited now. Journalling is deeply encouraging and an essential way I process and I’ve filled hundreds and thousands of pages with hand written thoughts. A few weeks ago, I found myself writing out my prayers, and copying out scripture into my journal because my soul felt too weary to speak them out (hello coughs and colds season!). In that moment, however, I felt encouraged to keep writing my prayers and copying scripture into my journal. God hears our prayers and our thoughts.

For some reason I had believed ‘oh I can’t just write prayers, I have to speak out loud’. While I do believe in the power of speaking prayers aloud, for this season, Jesus has led me sweetly to surrender my thoughts and prayers to Him in my journal, each journal entry a prayer I could pray aloud or just hold on the page and give to Him. It’s been soul liberating and deeply helpful.

I see clearly what God is doing in my life, particularly as I thumb back through my journal, flipping back to previous months, witnessing how God used each prayer and plea. There’s lies that will slip into your mind, that your devotions with God have to look or be a certain way. The only way is Jesus, He is the Word of God. Open your Bible, and receive from Him. Sometimes running to Him looks messy. You’ll often find my disheveled self sitting on the couch, flipping open the Psalms and pleading with Him ‘please speak to me Lord, I give this time to you’. While I don’t have hours upon hours of time, I do have a heart to give to Him – and I need Him more than ever.

I’ll pray for you as your journey into deeper places with the Lord. May he give you strength for each and a renewed love for His word, your children and your daily habits.