When the movie War Room premiered a few years back, the idea of creating a room to pray prompted all kinds of unique spaces. Closets were converted to prayer rooms and rooms were dedicated for prayer. Sticky notes plastered walls and furniture. Prayers reverberated in these spaces as moms warred for their families.

But not everyone has a room or even a closet to spare. Susanna Wesley, the mother of 19 children, created her own space by pulling her apron over her head, signaling everyone to leave her alone. Jesus frequently withdrew from the world to pray (Luke 5:16).

If you have wee ones or kids you are toting every which direction, life can bleed into the margins. Time with God gets abbreviated or at worst neglected. We can guard against this trap by intentionally planning time in our prayer spaces.

Find your spot. This spot should be away from the flow of traffic. My space is a comfy chair. Next to this chair is a basket with my Bible, journal, devotional, a pen and highlighters. Keep your items handy so you are not jumping up because you don’t have a pen, forgot your Bible, or left your journal in the other room.

Schedule time. When my kids were little, I didn’t have quiet time until 1:00 in the afternoon. I maintained a strict nap schedule and fought fiercely for that time. If I let my youngest nap more than 30 minutes in the morning, I was in trouble. During that quiet time, I gave my four-year-old permission to rest or play quietly in her room. Sometimes she knelt beside me to pray. If she talked, though, I sent her back to her room. “Mama. Needs. Quiet. Time.”

When the kids started school, I prayed after they left. As you can tell, quiet spaces and times changed with the seasons of life. What’s important is to find the rhythm in your family.

Eliminate distractions. When I was a young mom, technology consisted of a home phone, TV and a VHS player. Today we have technology glowing, buzzing, beeping and flashing at all hours. Consider this time with the Lord sacred and holy. Leave the technology in the other room muted or off. The world will demand your attention soon enough so stay vigilant in keeping this space serene and sacred.

I now pray in the mornings while my husband exercises. I usually grab a glass of water or a cup of hot tea before I head to my comfy chair. Some days while the water is heating, I’ll glance at a text that came in overnight. Before you know it I’m checking emails, Instagram and Facebook. When I settle into my quiet space, my mind is flitting and I have to fight hard to hear from God. I’m trying (though not always successfully) to restrain myself from reading anything from the world before I talk to God.

I know. Things happen. Babies get sick. Children throw tantrums. Husbands need help. Work demands our attention. You’re tired. If you missed spending time in your prayer space, leave the guilt behind. Try again tomorrow. Maybe talk to God throughout the day asking for his help. Just don’t let skipping time in your prayer space become a habit. God’s waiting to talk to you.