If you are waiting for life to slow down before you listen for God, you may be waiting a long time.
Most women I talk to are not lacking desire. They are lacking margin. Their days are full of good things. Family. Work. Ministry. Responsibility. Leadership. And somewhere in the middle of all that fullness, they start to wonder why God feels quieter than He used to.
I know this was true for me when I was in the thick of motherhood and ministry. I wanted to do everything I could to move the mission forward and be a good mom. I volunteered for all the things, and said yes to all the needs. My margins were thin.
Here’s the truth that often brings relief.
God is not silent.
Your life is just loud.
Creating space is not about adding more to your schedule (although it is always good to evaluate the things on your plate from time to time. Because you may need to subtract something.). It is about learning how to notice God right where you already are.
1. Redefine What “Quiet Time” Actually Means
For many women, quiet time feels impossible. Long stretches of uninterrupted silence are rare but take advantage of them when you can. When we define time with God as something that must look a certain way, we often give up before we begin. Carving out large chunks of time feels overwhelming, especially during full seasons. Start small and take advantage of the little bits of time you do have available.
Space does not have to mean an hour alone with your Bible and a journal.
It can look like:
- Reading one verse out loud while your kids play (this is a win/win)
- Whispering a prayer while standing at the sink
- Sitting in the car for one minute before going inside
God is not impressed by the length of your time with Him. He responds to your willingness to turn your attention toward Him. You can do that anytime no matter how busy life is.
Start small. Stay consistent. Let go of perfection (this is what I have a hard time with).
2. Use the Spaces You Already Have
You likely have more space in your day than you realize. It just shows up in short windows.
Pay attention to the in between moments:
- Quick prayer before you respond to a text or email
- Listen to podcasts or sermons while doing chores or driving
- Pray or read a quick scripture while waiting in the school pickup line
- Listen to audio bible during your morning routine
- Listen to worship music while loading the dishwasher
- Pray right before you fall asleep
Instead of filling every gap with noise, try asking one simple question.
Lord, what do You want me to notice right now?
These moments may feel insignificant, but they add up. Over time, they train your heart to listen.
3. Practice Pausing Before Reacting
One of the most powerful spiritual disciplines for busy lives is the pause. Full season often makes us react out of emotion and feelings.
When something triggers you, demands your attention, or pulls at your emotions, pause before responding. Even a few seconds creates space for wisdom to surface.
This might look like:
- Taking a breath before answering a child
- Pausing before responding to a difficult message
- Asking God for clarity before making a decision
Pausing is not weakness. It is leadership. It is choosing to respond from presence rather than pressure.
4. Let Scripture Be Simple Again
If reading the Bible feels overwhelming, you are not failing. You may just need to simplify for a season.
Choose one verse or chapter. Read it slowly. Read it again. Memorize it. Sit with it. Let the words speak to you in this season. You don’t have to read it like a theologian, you just need to be a curious daughter of God.
Ask questions like:
- What word or phrase stands out?
- What does this reveal about God?
- How does this speak to my current season?
Scripture does not need to be rushed to be effective. Often, depth comes from staying, not moving on quickly.
5. Release the Guilt Around Full Seasons
Full seasons are not wrong seasons.
There are times in life when your calling feels paused. When your capacity is stretched. When the noise is constant. That does not mean God has forgotten what He placed inside you. I have often found that the busy seasons in my life are the training grounds for the call he has placed in my life.
God grows callings in hidden seasons. He forms character in ordinary moments. He prepares us quietly, often before we ever see the fruit.
If you are in a full season, remind yourself:
This is not the end of my story.
This is part of my formation.
6. Ask for Support When You Need It
Sometimes creating space requires asking for help. A friend that will sit in the hard moments and fold laundry, A coffee break to soak in the wisdom of a woman that has already been through this season. Allowing someone to come along side you and take a few things off your plate.
You were never meant to walk your calling alone. Isolation in busy seasons is the enemy’s way of distracting us from the path God has laid out.
If you need help clarifying your calling, I have tools and support designed to walk with you gently, not push you faster or add more to your plate.
7. Lastly, Regularly Evaluate the Fullness of Your Life
Creating space is not only about finding extra time. It is about paying attention to what is filling your life in the first place.
Many women, especially moms, carry very full plates. Not because they are doing the wrong things, but because they say yes to many good things. Over time, those good yes’s can quietly crowd out what God is actually calling them to in a given season.
I am the queen of this and regularly need to evaluate my plate.
It is wise to regularly pause and ask a few honest questions.
- Are there commitments I agreed to that no longer fit this season?
- Are there areas where I keep adding, when God may be inviting me to simplify?
- Are there good things I need to release for now so I can be present to what matters most?
- Are there things on my plate that should be released to someone else?
Creating margin often begins with subtraction. Sometimes the most faithful choice is not adding another practice or responsibility, but letting go of something that once served its purpose but no longer does.
Margin is not empty space for its own sake. It is intentional space. Space where God can speak clearly. Space where He can redirect, refine, and confirm your calling.
When you create room on purpose, God fills it with what you are truly called to carry.
A Closing Truth to Hold Onto
Creating space is not about escaping or changing your life.
It is about inviting God into it.
Your life does not need to be fuller to be faithful.
It needs to be aligned.
Clarity does not come all at once.
It grows in the quiet you create on purpose.
