Holy in the ordinary: worship from 6am to midnight

Worship is not only singing on a Sunday. It is a life turned towards God, and that includes a life spent mostly in pyjamas, rocking a baby and searching for the other sock. Let us walk through an ordinary day with a baby, hour by hour, and look for the places where worship is already hiding.

6am: the first cry

The day starts before you are ready. Before you reach for your phone, try a one-line offering: "Lord, this day is Yours." That is it. You have dedicated the day before your feet hit the floor.

If your night was hard, be honest. "I am so tired, Lord. Carry me today." Honesty is a form of worship, because it treats God as real.

8am: nappies and breakfast

Changing a nappy is one of the least glamorous jobs in the world. It is also an act of tender, humble service, the kind Jesus modelled when He knelt to wash His friends' feet. As you clean and dress your baby, you are caring for a person made in God's image. That is holy work.

10am: the washing pile

Muslins, sleepsuits, vests, bibs, and somehow more muslins. As you fold, try thanking God for each item: for the clothes someone handed down, for the washing machine, for the baby who will wear this tomorrow. Gratitude turns chores into conversation.

12pm: lunch with one hand

Pause before eating, even for a few seconds. Bless the food, and bless the body that needs it. Taking care of yourself honours the God who made you.

2pm: the walk

Getting outside, even for ten minutes, is good for you and your baby. Notice the sky, the trees, the people you pass. Creation is constantly praising its Maker. You are invited to join in, quietly, as you push the pram.

4pm: the witching hour

Late afternoon and evening can be when babies are most unsettled and parents most frayed. Worship here might look like taking a breath instead of snapping, putting on calm music, or simply saying "Lord, help." If the crying goes on for a long time, it is fine to put your baby down safely in their cot and step away for a few minutes to calm yourself. Never shake a baby. If you feel close to losing control, put the baby down safely and call someone.

And if your baby's cry sounds different, weak or high-pitched, or they are floppy, feverish, struggling to breathe or not feeding, trust your instincts and get medical help.

7pm: bath and bedtime

Bath time can be a little liturgy of its own. Sing the same song each night. Say the same short blessing in your own words as you lay your baby on their back in the cot, something like "Jesus loves you. Sleep in peace." Babies love repetition, and so, it turns out, do tired mums.

Midnight: the night feed

The house is quiet. This is a good time to bring God the day that has passed. What was hard? What was good? Where did you see His kindness? You might not remember much, and that is all right. Hand the day back to Him and rest.

Whatever you do

Paul wrote a verse that gathers all of this together: "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." (Colossians 3:17).

Whatsoever. That includes winding, burping, washing bottles, warming milk, answering the door to the health visitor and doing the school run with a baby in a sling. Nothing you do in love is too small or too messy to be offered to God.

A few small anchors

• A worship playlist that plays during bath time or the evening walk.
• A short blessing you say each time you lay your baby down.
• One gratitude, written in your phone, each night.
• A cross, verse card or picture somewhere you will see it when you are tired.

These are not rules. They are reminders that God is in the room, every hour of the day.

A prayer for ordinary hours

Lord, my days are full of small, repeated tasks. Teach me to see them as worship. Let my nappy changes, washing and rocking be done in Your name and with a thankful heart. Meet me in the ordinary and make it holy. Amen.