"There is an hour of peace and rest, unmarred by earthly care;
'Tis when before the Lord I go and kneel in secret prayer."
Hans Henry Peterson
This sweet little Hymn has been taunting me for months.
There is also the one that says
"Sweet hour of prayers, sweet hour of prayer.."
The reasons why these hymns seem to be bothersome to me are;
1-How many times have you actually prayed for an hour. I can think of maybe one.
2- How many times have you had.." an hour of peace and rest, unmarred by earthly care."
I am BAD about remembering to say my personal prayers. I had to put a sticky note on the Bathroom wall, above my towels, to remind me to pray in the morning. You see, the bathroom is my place where I "Pray in secret day by day". Showering is my alone time, though there are usually kids banging on the door
"Mom, Smith is beating up Brig for no reason!" they'll say.
I say back, "Tell him not to."
"Smith.......NOT TO!" I hear.
Anyway-----back to my unmarred prayer. I shower, get dressed, and then yell at the bathroom door
(Where several unruley kids have gathered..and are now chanting "MOM!")
"Everyone Shut Your Yappers for a second! Mom has to have prayer!"
How's that for getting into the spirit?
Then I kneel by my laundry basket and quickly offer the same prayer because the kids are starting to do battle, and I can't think clearly enough to say a real one.
So, my friends, I am ready to take suggestions.
My only idea so far is that I can get up at 3:00 am for some peace, rest, and prayer.
Is that my only hope??
(I hope not, because that is bound to make me cranky the next day!)
15 comments:
I understand where you are coming from - it is hard to find the time and the place to pray without being continually disrupted by little ones, your post could have been my post - it sounds so similar. I take time at night before bed to read my devotions and pray. This works for me now in my life - although I would love to start the day in this fashion as well.
It's so good to hear someone else with as much distress over this as me. I physically or mentally cannot get myself out of bed with time to spare in the mornings no matter how much I would like to start my day in prayer, but at bedtime, after I've run myself ragged all day, it's nice to unwind with God.
I just found your blog. Lovely.
about prayer:
unfortunately if you get up at 3 in the morning, then it isn't restful, is it? But I bet it is peaceful.
I feel badly whenever I hear one of those talks that mention how they would see their mother kneeling. . . oh that is a song. I don't ever think my children saw me kneeling in secret prayer. The only time they saw me kneeling is during family prayer. I guess I didn't set too great of an example. guilt, guilt, guilt. . .
I pretty much had a prayer in my heart all day though.
PS I loved everyone else's comments.
What a sweet blog and funny name.
thanks
~a
I have very often found myself praying in the car. Not with my eyes closed that is for sure, but when the kids are quiet and you have a minute. I also this the song may not necessarily mean an hour all at once.... Maybe if you add all the times you pray in a day together, it would add up to an hour.
Remember.. "prayer is the soul's sincere desire"
Oh the memories.....How about little fingers poking under the door? Now just the dogs sit outside the bathroom door while I shower.....and yes they too sometimes fight!
I was down to only one home....then I gained another back. That makes two home. I just hung up the phone and three has just asked to come home!!! Yikes! Even though they are all what the world calls "adult" in age. This means they will be fighting outside the bathroom door again!
I am now going to go take my one and only time in my life that I have an hour that I can pray and ask for available housing to miraculously arrive for number three!
Thanks for the words of the quote. Lovley.
I have a hard time making my prayer meaningfull. I rush through it with on ear on things that happen outside. But I believe Heavenly Father knows your situation with all the kids and knows the intentions of your heart.
Love your Blog. (Hopefully my English is good enough) :>
This is so true! No peace for a Mother. And pray for an HOUR? Maybe a few snatched minutes yes. Mine are teenagers and they still bang on the bathroom door!
I'm on the same page as you, although with not as many kids. Yesterday I snuck out while they were napping (husband was napping too) and took a walk through the woods. It was the first time in a while that I was able to find that peace and rest. I usually just 'chat' with Heavenly Father all day long...mainly.."please give me more patience."
I'm terrible about making time, but the one thing I TRY to remember to do is to say a prayer of "thank you" at least once every day. Since I'm great at praying for help in dire circumstances, it's only fair to give thanks other times, right?
Thanks for reminding me today.
Nice post! I struggle with this, especially during summer when all of the kids are home. I have a routine during the school year that I started last September. I get the 2 oldest of to school after breakfast. Then when I get back from the bus stop before I start doing the dishes, laundry etc. I put my girls in the playroom with the baby gate in front of it and head to the living room where I read the Bible and pray (not for an hour, usually 20 minutes or so.) There are times when I don't feel like it but I make myself because I know it's good for me. At first my kids would keep calling me and need me, but after a few weeks they got used to it and it worked really well. If you can make time somewhere in your day on a regular basis it will get easier. And of course we can "pray unceasingly" while doing our work too :-)
I hear you Dear Sister...I.Hear.You.
Oh the guilt of saying I wish I had more time..so I could pray. It's hard. I call my time "talking" not praying because I do mine in the car. It's truly the only time I'm alone. The scary part is that I find myself in my work parking lot and wonder how I made it there. Did I stop at all the stop lights? Please say I didn't cut someone off. It's tough girl.. Just do your best..He loves you either way.
that whole quiet time thing has never really worked out for me, but the continuous prayer thing has. pray all day.
kind of a running monologue-to-God type thing--i'd say dialogue, but He's not answering me in an audible way, but i guess it's still a dialogue. hmmm.
rambling . . .
I get up at 4:00 every morning for work and I sit on the side of my bed and say my prayers. It's my only completely alone quiet time. Sadly, sometimes I fall asleep doing it. Oh, I sit on the bed bz I need a new knee and kneeling just can't be done anymore. I actually miss that. I think kneeling kept me more in the spirit. Thank heavens we have a loving Heavenly Father who understands just how human we are! I found you through the Moda website. Lately I have the hymn words "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" running through my head. We're getting ready to send a missionary out and the pocket book is draining very, very fast, over $500.00 for the immunizations by the time we're done. We had grossly underestimated so much! Thank heavens God hears our prayers! Cindy
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