5 Bible Study Tips for Busy Moms {an interview with Angela Thomas}

{I am so thrilled to have author/speaker, Angela Thomas as a guest on Grace for Moms today. I’ve had the great honor of working side by side with this amazing woman and I’m privileged to call her friend. She is one of the strongest, most God-seeking women I know. What I love most about what she shares in this interview is that her advice drips with grace. She isn’t about being perfect or even attempting perfect. She is about grabbing hold of grace and clinging to the Father. Yes and amen! I pray you enjoy her words of wisdom today. Jess}

1. What strategies have you used to study the Word during busy seasons?

In my busiest mommy season with three babies at home and the oldest going to kindergarten, I remember wondering how I’d ever get back to studying the Bible again! Being consistent seemed almost impossible and there were a few months when truthfully, the “Verse-a-Day” calendar sitting on the window sill above my sink was my study for the day. One of the best ways God taught and fed me spiritually in those crazy, busy times was through listening to sermons and Bible teaching. There were many times I’d keep circling the block, not wanting to unbuckle those carseats until a great teacher had finished on the radio. There were nights I held a sick baby and rocked, listening to teaching that fed my soul.

2. What tips/advice would you give to a mom who may only have 5-10 minutes to read and study the Bible each day?

First, I totally get it. It is amazing how the sweet beautiful gift of a child can at times become the most overwhelming, all-consuming job any woman ever had! My best strategy for getting 5-10 minutes is to put Bibles and devotionalsall over my house. If I have to get up and go find a Bible, that reading may never happen. But if the one you are cuddling falls asleep in your lap and there is a Bible within reach, that sweet pumpkin becomes a book stand for a little time in God’s Word. So spread the Word around! In the kitchen, the bathrooms, beside all the beds, on side tables and tucked into the door of your car. If the Bible is close, those 5-10 minutes are more likely to happen.

3. What are your 2 favorite scriptures to meditate on for encouragement when you are busy and weary?

These two always give me comfort . . .

What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory. Him we proclaim . . . Colossians 1:27-28a

4. What encouragement would you give to a weary mom who feels disconnected from the Lord?

First, the very best way to become even more emotionally and mentally weary is to keep beating yourself up spiritually. When we are exhausted we can find ourselves disconnected from everybody, even God. One of the greatest spiritual lessons of my life was learning to receive the grace of God for those exhausting days of mothering. Somewhere in those years, I finally understood God was completely aware of the assignment He had given to me. The energy required. The years without four good hours of sleep in a row. The limitations of this human body He created. We. Just. Wear. Out. And He knows. Oh bless Him, God knows how tough these years can be.

If today you are weary, can I encourage you to hold out your hands for the grace of God. As you receive this grace that does not run out, thank Him. Thank Him for remembering how He made you, only one woman with only two hands. Thank Him for showing you your limitations. Thank Him for reminding you that you cannot do it all, or be it all. Thank Him for reminding you that you cannot save yourself, or your family, or this world. You need a Savior and the rest of us do too. And because of grace, He knows us fully and loves us still. Hey weary mama, the God of heaven and earth sees you today. He is so pleased with how you care for the ones He has entrusted to you. Receive His good gift of grace and bless Him with your prayers.

5. What role has prayer played in your process of studying the Word?

With each new season, I am prayerfully asking God to show me what it means to apply His Word now. At this age, in this new circumstance, with these new obstacles. The more I have come to know His Word, the more dependent I have become to prayer for today’s application of His truth. I already know that acquiring knowledge is not the same thing as possessing wisdom and I don’t just want the facts anymore. I desire the wisdom that comes from waiting and seeking and meditating on God’s Word in prayer. Prayer is the means by which God has been giving me the fruit of wisdom. Turns out, my kids need God’s wisdom more than they need one more of mom’s opinions. As a matter of fact, the whole world is full of opinions that lack power and authority. But the wisdom that comes from praying through God’s Word is water for our thirsty souls.

Let’s learn from each other. What strategies have you found to stay in the Word during your busiest mom seasons?

Angela Thomas is the best-selling author of numerous books including Do You Think I’m Beautiful? She is a gifted teacher and story-teller speaking to thousands each year. Angela teaches and transparently shares life experiences that draw her and others into a deeper passion for knowing God. Living in Greensboro, North Carolina, Angela is also a wife, mom to four children {ages 14-22} and an ordinary woman.

{Photo via istockphoto}

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