Flourishing in Every Way

Spending intentional time with God after having a baby has been a slow but growing journey.

During early postpartum, it was basically nonexistent. I was far too sleep deprived—busy keeping up with meds (I even wrote down on paper when I took each one), trying to stay hydrated and nourished (this was harder than I expected), and constantly counting and tracking diapers and feeds.

Every day felt new, with its own unique—or sometimes repeated—challenges. Our home was constantly evolving to fit this newly parented lifestyle.

But as my baby grew, life continued to stabilize bit by bit. The days felt more predictable, and I was able to intentionally reinvite this part back into my life.

This is what spending time with God looks like for us in this season:

Setting

• My baby is sitting on my lap at the dining table.
• I have my Bible, prayer journal, baby praise book, pen, and a couple toys.

Praise

• We sing songs from a baby praise book (which he absolutely loves, but also likes to eat haha).

Opening Prayer

• Thanking God for the night’s rest and the new day ahead
• Praying for any immediate needs, whether it’s for us or for others
• Asking God to plant His seeds of truth in our hearts and minds

Bible Reading

• We read one chapter out loud each day. We’re currently reading through the pastoral epistles (in 2 Timothy now).
• Sidenote: We used to read the children’s Beginner’s Bible together. The pictures were great and kept my baby somewhat engaged, but it felt a little too simplified for me. It seemed to unintentionally take away from the fullness of the truth—I love simplicity but not in this way. After a couple of weeks, we transitioned to the ESV Study Bible (my go-to since college). And yes, I know this version is not baby friendly at all, but I think that’s OK.

Brief Meditation

• If anything stands out from the chapter, I rewrite the verses and jot down any insights or reflections.

Closing Prayer (aka my baby’s poopie time—apparently my embrace is so comforting that his digestive system knows to activate every time lol)

• I use a prayer journal I created a couple of years ago to track prayer requests and prayer inspirations
• Lots of thanksgiving and supplication for our family and for others—covering everything for the day ahead and in the coming weeks and months
• Capturing any prayer inspirations during or after prayer

We do all of this while sipping on my go-to blueberry smoothie (check out my smoothie recipe here). It usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour, more or less.

Some days, I’m just powering through, and it feels a bit rough. Other days, I’m walking around the house praying, while holding my baby as he falls asleep in my arms. And some days, he’s content with a pacifier and is chilling on my lap.

Some days are better than others. I try to see every “interruptive” moment as an opportunity to invite my baby to engage with me.

We’re not here striving for perfection—just consistency and doing it together.

I’m so grateful for this season and the time I’ve been given to spend with my baby. I know this will change as our life circumstances continue to shift and change, and we’ll adjust when we get there. But for now, this is what everyday living—intentional time with God—looks like for us.

If you have a little one—or many little ones—what does quiet time with God look like for you?