mary prayers for martha tasks (free resource)
Mary and Martha — I think every woman of God who puts her hands to the work of making a home shares a deep connection to these sisters found in the Gospel accounts of Scripture. Martha embodies everything we know about keeping a home, serving our families, and living on mission for our Savior, Jesus Christ. While Mary serves as the example of a right spiritual posture before our King — sitting at His feet, learning from Him, and allowing that knowledge to grow us in a closer relationship to Him as we seek to be holy.
We know the story well — Martha and Mary welcomed Jesus and His disciples into their home. And while Martha busied herself with the tasks of feeding and caring for their guests, Mary took the time to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what He had to say. Martha allowed some resentment to creep into her spirit against her sister and she confronted Jesus in hopes that He would instruct Mary to help her with the growing to-do list. Instead, Jesus kindly admonished Martha, pointing out that her priorities were off and reminding her that in all things, her relationship with Him should come first.
I like to think that after Jesus gently redirected Martha, she was able to return to her tasks in the next days and weeks with a new sense of peace and purpose. I imagine her weaving lots of praise and prayer into her chores of cleaning and cooking.
This is something I want to cultivate in my own rhythms and routines, the practice of looking for…
mary moments in the midst of martha tasks
Sometimes, I listen to Scripture or a sermon while cooking dinner for my family. Often, I put on worship music while we complete our daily home blessing of tidying the house. But always, no matter the task, I’m learning that it’s about taking the little minutes of my day and inviting Him into them.
Admittedly, I’m not a “little minute” kind of woman. I’m a project-oriented, hyper-focus kind of gal, so this shift in thinking takes practice. Recently, I was reminded of a “little minute” habit I had developed back when our boys were very small and our apartment didn’t have a washer or dryer. I wrote about this on Instagram a few years back, and here is what I recalled about that time:
“This rhythm of weekly trips to the laundromat is familiar… 8 loads in the rain, snow, heat, or cold. Packing it all up in the back of the car, gathering quarters from every pocket and couch cushion, measuring out detergent — it was hard work and typically took 3-4 hours each Saturday for five long years. After a season of complaining and grumbling, the Holy Spirit quietly reminded my heart that I had an opportunity to redeem this unusual block of time with intention prayer.
As I folded my boys’ endless pile of socks, I started to pray that they would walk closely with Jesus each day.
As I hung up my husband’s work uniforms, I started to thank God for the provision of a good job to support our family.
As I packed up my t-shirts and jeans into the basket, I started to ask the Spirit to grant me grace and wisdom for the week ahead.”
What a good reminder to redeem those “little minutes” for His service and glory. When I think back on that season of life, I’m reminded of how sweet those simple meetings with Jesus were — a regular part of my weekly routine that I could count on meeting with Him while my hands kept busy at the work of serving my family. A Mary Moment in the midst of a Martha Task.
Thankfully, we have a washer and dryer these days and my laundry routine now involves the help of my biggest boys and a more manageable daily rhythm. However, I wanted to reclaim that practice of prayer, so I created a simple print to help me remember the connection points the Spirit gave to me during my Laundromat days. I wanted something that I could hang in our laundry area downstairs or tuck into the bottom of the main basket I use to bring loads up from the dryer to fold. And so, the Prayer While Doing Laundry print was born.
Then, my mind turned to another regular home-keeping task that happens on a daily basis — washing dishes! So I created the Prayer Rhythm While Washing Dishes print with a broader focus and specific prompts for daily prayer over an area of connection that God has given to me: my family, my neighbors, my church, etc. This print I’ve hung in the window above my kitchen sink where I can’t miss it!
These prints were originally designed with my own heart and home in mind, but I thought they might be something that would bless and encourage you as you seek to create those Mary Moments in your own Martha Tasks. Keep in mind, these prayers are not prescriptive, merely a guide or inspiration point as you spend time with Jesus and serve your family.
after joining the free resource library below, the download will include both a simple black and white version of these prints and a color one, which features some simple home-keeping graphics.
Welcome, friend — I’m Alle, a second-generation homeschooler with four boys living in the same mid-century ranch I grew up in.
In another season, my creative work took shape in the form of Kingdom-impacting projects for ministries and authors who were launching big things into the world — books and brands, courses and communities.
These days, I’m using those same skills and passions to create resources and tools for Homemakers and Home Educators who are building Kingdom-impacting families. You can sign up for free access to those simple projects in the Resource Library. I hope you will find some encouragement and support for your journey in this space.