How to Study the Bible When You Have Young Children

I have to share this. I literally posted this post & then went to Facebook & saw on my memories that this was posted two years ago! 

Our lives look different after children: our marriages, our free time, and even our Bible study. Today, we wanted to share with you some tips on how to get in the Word! 

We've recorded two podcast episodes where we talk about some Bible study tips & tools for parents.
Parents Getting Into the Word
Bible Study

I also talked about this topic in a 7 Minutes of Wisdom at Polishing the Pulpit.  Here are my notes from that session. I hope it will help you!
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Personal Bible Study

*Your life looks different after kids!  That includes your marriage, your free time, your housework, & even your Bible study.  

Quick Tips:

*PRAY about it! Don't you think if you pray about this that God will bless your efforts?!

*BUDGET your time. Time is just like money. You have a certain amount of it & when it's gone, it's gone! Make a schedule!

*Get up early. It’s quiet, you likely have more time to actually study, & then you know it is done.

*Listen to the Bible or a podcast/lesson as you get ready in the morning. Use a Bible app that reads to you (I use YouVersion)

*Try Breakfast Bible Time with your kids or while they eat

*Make a Bible study basket. Keep everything all in one place.

*Put sticky notes in your Bible-write down whatever random thoughts come into your head while you study—Bible thoughts or stuff you think of that you need to do later (my phone is a huge distraction, so if I pull my phone out to set a reminder, I suddenly find myself checking every notification that came up)

*DEAR time with your kids. Drop Everything And Read—they are to “read” or look at Bible books & you do some Bible study.  Depending on the age of your children, it may not be more than 10-15 minutes.  You can start with five minutes if they are really small & then work your way up to a longer amount of time.  Try reading the books to them before or after to help hold their attention longer & add in some extra instruction for them.  **It’s also GOOD for your kids to SEE you study your Bible!

*Have a PLAN.  Know what you will be studying before you sit down. Make a weekly plan if necessary. Example: M-Digging Deep, T-Bible Marking, W-Bible class assignment/material, R-Chronological reading, F-Come Fill Your Cup, S-Bible class assignment/material

Tools/Ideas:

*Use online tools: The Bible Project — animated summaries of each book of the Bible. Visually helps you to remember what you are learning about each book.  DISCLAIMER-as far as I know, they are not made by members of the church & I have not watched every one.

Use Come Fill Your Cup for Bible studies & Bible marking—CFYC is starting a study of 1, 2, & 3 John- this Friday on Facebook/their website.  They also have an awesome Book by Book Study going on with a different book of the Bible each month as well as a 2019 Reading Plan.  This is the the outline for the 1-3 John study:

*Use the PTP thumb drive or online sermons to listen throughout the day (sometimes I do this during lunch or when I’m cleaning up after a meal). *The Light Network: www.thelightnetwork.tv (Christian podcasts-check the archives too!) *PTP365 www.365.polishingthepulpit.com

*IMMERSE yourself in the Word.  You can do this by using little bits of time you have throughout the day.  It may be listening to a chapter or two as you get ready in the morning, studying for a few minutes during breakfast or before the kids wake up, listening to a podcast during nap time/while doing housework (IRONING!), or after they are in bed.  Young moms do not have a lot of free time, so make the best of the time you have.

*Use a study guide/book.  When I have a newborn especially, I cannot sit & just read chapters (or even one) at a time. I can’t remember what I read & when I am really sleep deprived, I fall asleep!  Using a study guide or book helps keep me focused & not be overwhelmed by reading a bunch at one time.  Kaio Publications & the Colley House have some great ones.

*Find an accountability partner or study group.  This is why I LOVE the Digging Deep Bible study so much.  There is a live video podcast at the end of each month that you can participate in, short audio podcasts throughout the month, a Facebook group to post/answer questions you may have, & we have a group from our congregation meeting each month.  If you don’t have a study group in your area, make one!  See if you can get some teen girls or older ladies from your congregation to volunteer to watch the kids while the moms study.  This would be a great opportunity to invite non-Christians as well.

*Start a group text Bible study. Pick 5-6 of your sisters in Christ who are interested & have a group text.  Someone can send out a verse/passage/topic in the morning & then you can answer/see other’s thoughts on the topic as you go throughout the day.  It gives you something to consider & help you to meditate on the Word as you care for your family & home.