I have to admit, my devotional life is haphazard, at best. I got my One Year Bible in 2002ish, and it’s never been read cover to cover, just in fits and spurts. I read Christian nonfiction, self-helpish books a few times a year. Usually swallow them whole, in fact. After an intense few days with a book, I usually finish and then resume my on-again-off-again relationship with routine devotions.

The same can be said for my prayer life. Although I talk to God whenever I need to: in the shower, in the car, in those moments of mommy-craziness (pot on stove boiling over, loud making of “music” on the piano by my accomplished pianist after her second lesson, four-year-old melting down about the Avengers packaging I threw away because “IT. IS. NOT. GARBAGE.” he says ), I don’t really talk to him every day. I say my dinner prayers faithfully and pray with my children every night, but I don’t carve out a few minutes to lay everything before him, whether that be praise or petitions.

Do you know what excuses I give myself? I’m busy. Life is crazy. I’d be telling the truth, kind of. I am busy. Life is crazy. I don’t think anyone would argue with me about those two facts. Every day is different with children. Some nights are restful, others are muddled dreams of half-consciousness. Sometimes everyone is happy and healthy, sometimes everyone is sick and downright ornery.

It’s hard to nab a quiet moment. It’s hard to put down all the necessary tasks around me and think that reading God’s word is going to help the child that’s throwing a tantrum or remedy that fact that I didn’t sleep last night.

Everyone can substitute in their version of busy. If you don’t have kids, you have a crazy job or are a full-time caregiver or the only church volunteer or a grad student on the run. There is always something for everyone to be doing. Everyone’s plate is full.

The thing is I’ve never, ever regretted sitting down and reading the Bible. Ever. I’ve never thought back on my day and wished that I hadn’t spent all that time reading God’s Word. I’ve never been like, “(sound of disgust)! If only I hadn’t spent that 15 minutes in prayer I would be so much further ahead.” I don’t ever flop into bed at night thinking about how I shouldn’t have written a blog post about God-stuff.

I can use the words never ever and mean them literally in this context. And I can do that because time spent listening and talking to God is truly necessary to me and my faith. That’s why God tells me in the Bible to read his Word and pray. He says that because it is just the best thing for human beings. We were programmed for a relationship with God. When we avoid these necessary things, it isn’t good for us and our faith shrinks up like the plants on my porch that need watering.

Reading God’s Word and praying are necessary things. End of story. There’s nothing fancy about it. There’s no need to try to figure anything else out. There’s no real next-big-thing in devotional life. It’s just about reading and talking with a heart of faith, bringing our praise and our troubles, our thanks and our worries, our confessions and our awe. It’s about being reminded again and again of God’s grace through Jesus, the answer to our haphazard lives.