Making Time

Hitbodedut: Personal Prayer

Siddurim: Rote Prayer

Required Brachot: Blessings throughout the day (food, bathroom, new items, Shema, etc)

For mothers it can be difficult to find time to pray. I struggle with being consistent. I will have a very good week and be able to communicate well with everyone, including Hashem. Then the weeks come when the car stops working, the pain is too much, stress creeps up and won't stop nagging about money, the children are rowdy and our husbands need our time and affection. When do we find time to cry out to Hashem?!

For me- during those times I work very hard to focus on the simple things like food blessings with kavana. I truly think about the words I'm saying and that even my peanut butter and honey sandwich is a gift from Hashem. 

I also remind myself that before I know it, I will be older and B'zrat Hashem I will be a grandmother. I will have more time for prayer. I prayed so much before I married. I had nothing but time on my hands. I am working to rid my life of the unnecessary and find simplicity. I anticipate that if I can do this I will use my time more efficiently and have more time. 

I am sad to admit that if I'm really honest and look around at my day, I waste time that could and should be better spent. I pray for strength to stop this.

Thought for today: 

WILL AND DESIRE

When a person is content to want only what God wants, this makes God the King. But when a person desires something other than what God desires, this gives strength to unholy forces. A person must nullify his own will to the point where he has no will and desire for anything except what God desires, whether it be that he should have wealth and children or not, God forbid. It should be the same with everything else he wants. He should desire only what God desires. This makes God alone the King

Likutey Moharan I, 177 

Rabbi Nachman