When you’re praying for a baby, you may feel overwhelmed with a variety of emotions! Yearning, frustration, excitement, hope, fear…your feelings are mixed, intense, and complicated. These thoughts and prayers for pregnancy will help you stay focused on God’s light, love, and will for your life.
In the Bible, Hannah’s prayer for pregnancy was answered; see 1 Samuel 1 for details. But, it’s important to know why her prayer for a baby was granted by God. I’ll share the passage of Scripture here and explain what I recently learned about Hannah’s prayer for a pregnancy. You’ll find the help and hope you need – especially if you’ve been trying to conceive a baby for a long time.
You may want to get pregnant more than you’ve ever wanted anything in your life. If you’re desperate to have a baby, your prayers may be more about your wants and needs than accepting God’s will for your life. This can be a dangerous place to be, because you’ll be devastated if you don’t get pregnant quickly…or at all. Do you already feel this sense of desperation? Here’s what you need to know about praying for a baby…
First, I’ll share Hannah’s prayer for a pregnancy in 1 Samuel 1. I’ll explain what I learned about praying for a baby from a recent Tim Keller sermon podcast. Then, I’ll share a Centering Prayer for Pregnancy, which I originally posted eight years ago when I was praying for a baby.
Remember that prayer isn’t about getting what you want – no matter important it is to have a baby.
Rather, prayer is about spending time with God so you get to know Him better. Praying for a baby isn’t just about getting pregnant; it’s about taking your relationship with Jesus to a deeper, more personal and healthy level. Praying is about learning how to be stable, secure, and peaceful no matter what happens in your life.
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Hannah’s Prayer for a Pregnancy
So Hannah ate. Then she pulled herself together, slipped away quietly, and entered the sanctuary. The priest Eli was on duty at the entrance to God’s Temple in the customary seat. Crushed in soul, Hannah prayed to God and cried and cried—inconsolably.
Then she made a vow:
Oh, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
If you’ll take a good, hard look at my pain,If you’ll quit neglecting me and go into action for meBy giving me a son,I’ll give him completely, unreservedly to you.I’ll set him apart for a life of holy discipline.
It so happened that as she continued in prayer before God, Eli was watching her closely. Hannah was praying in her heart, silently. Her lips moved, but no sound was heard. Eli jumped to the conclusion that she was drunk. He approached her and said, “You’re drunk! How long do you plan to keep this up? Sober up, woman!”
Hannah said, “Oh no, sir—please! I’m a woman hard used. I haven’t been drinking. Not a drop of wine or beer. The only thing I’ve been pouring out is my heart, pouring it out to God. Don’t for a minute think I’m a bad woman. It’s because I’m so desperately unhappy and in such pain that I’ve stayed here so long.”
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Eli answered her, “Go in peace. And may the God of Israel give you what you have asked of him.”
“Think well of me—and pray for me!” she said, and went her way. Then she ate heartily, her face radiant.
Up before dawn, they worshiped God and returned home to Ramah. Elkanah slept with Hannah his wife, and God began making the necessary arrangements in response to what she had asked.
From 1 Samuel 1 – The Message.
Why God granted Hannah’s prayer for a pregnancy
Look at the parts that I bolded: Hannah didn’t just “give” her baby to God – she vowed to completely and totally set her son apart for a holy life. Then, Hannah became radiant, and she worshipped God — even before her prayers to get pregnant were answered!
Hannah didn’t worship God radiantly and fervently after she got pregnant. She was a woman after God’s own heart before she conceived her baby. She released her grip, she loosened her grasp, she let go of her desperate yearning to get pregnant. She prayed for a baby, but she didn’t make it the center of her life, her heart, and her worship.
Hannah loved God for who He is, not what He could give her.
It wasn’t that Hannah said the right things when she was praying for a baby, or that she recited a centering prayer for pregnancy that convinced God to open her womb! It was that she released her desperate grip to get pregnant. She let go of the neediness, the yearning, the clawing frenetic desire to have a baby.
Worship God for who He is when you pray for a baby
Praying for a baby can be a beautiful act of worship – if it comes from a heart that is completely submitted to God’s will for your life. When your spirit is open and accepting to whatever God has in store for you, you become free from the desperation that many women feel when they’re depressed because they can’t get pregnant.
It’s good to pray for a baby – God wants us to ask Him for the desires of our hearts! But, if you set your heart, mind and soul on having a baby, then you’re not open to God’s holy and perfect will for your life. Basing your happiness on a child is a mistake. God may still grant your prayer for a pregnancy, but your happiness will always be tied up with your kid. And that, my friend, will eventually break your heart.
“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” ~ Søren Kierkegaard.
Allow God to change your heart as you keep praying for a baby. Trust Him. Learn what it means to really, truly be open to whatever He has planned for your life and family. Learn how to worship God for who He is — even if you’re not pregnant. Even if you’ve been saying prayers for a pregnancy for years.
Below is the “centering prayer for pregnancy” that I originally shared eight years ago, when I was praying for a baby. Remember that it’s one way to pray for a baby, but it’s not a miracle prayer that guarantees you’ll get pregnant.
It’s important to trust God to prepare your body for pregnancy, and it’s also important to take care of your health! God gave us doctors, research studies, and brains to help us get and stay healthy. If you’re not taking good care of your body – or if your husband isn’t taking care of his fertility and sperm health – then you are delaying your chances of getting pregnant.
If you’re praying for a baby because you’re coping with fertility issues, you might also add a prayer for healing for your and your husband’s body. Always remember that prayer isn’t about getting the pregnancy you want…it’s about finding the strength, hope, and peace to live with what God allows into your life.
You’ll find Yes, You Can Get Pregnant: Natural Ways to Improve Your Fertility Now and into Your 40s helpful if you’re worried about your ability to conceive a baby or if you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a long time.
Health and fertility expert Aimee Raupp has helped hundreds of women optimize their fertility and get pregnant, even after age 40. In this book she shares her complete program for improving your chances of conceiving and overcoming infertility, including the most effective complementary and lifestyle approaches and the latest nutritional advice. Her remedies help you how to get in tune with your body, eat the best fertility-enhancing foods, and avoid environmental toxins to achieve a healthy and stress-free pregnancy.
Centering Prayer for Pregnancy
Centering prayer is an ancient meditative art that involves silencing your heart and mind. Take a deep breath, and allow God’s peace, love, joy and freedom to fill your life. Ask the Holy Spirit to descend upon you, to give you the peace that passes all understanding.
Centering prayer is a way to calm your mind and still your spirit, to instill your body with a sense of peace and health, and to create a heart of acceptance towards what God wills in your life.
These four steps will guide you through a centering prayer for pregnancy. Remember that your goal isn’t just to get pregnant. It’s to get closer to God, and to align your will with His will for you and your family.
1. Choose a sacred word or phrase that symbolizes your prayer for pregnancy
The focus of centering prayer is to consent to God’s presence and action within. Choose a word or phrase that helps you remember that you are consenting to God’s work and power in your life – whether that means getting pregnant or not getting pregnant. For instance, your sacred word could be “Trust” or “Hope” or “God’s will be done” or “Acceptance.” Note that it’s not necessarily “praying for a baby” or “increased fertility” or “conception”! The idea is to be open to what God has in store.
2. Find a comfortable position and quiet space when you pray for a baby
Where can you pray comfortably for 20 minutes? Try not to pray in a place where you’ll fall asleep or be distracted. Close your eyes and let go of everything happening within you – all your hopes and yearnings and wishes to be pregnant. Your prayer to get pregnant is meant to soothe your mind, heart, and spirit.
When you’re praying for a baby, be prepared for distractions, such as images, feelings, reflections, physical sensations, and unexpected thoughts…and use your sacred word to ease those distractions.
3. Use your sacred word in your pregnancy prayer
Whatever disruptive thoughts or emotions come to you, lay your sacred word over them. For example if you start to feel scared you’ll never get pregnant, repeat “Trust” or “Acceptance” until you feel calm and focused on God. If you keep frantically thinking about getting pregnant or what will happen if you don’t get pregnant, savor your sacred word: “Faith” or “God’s will be done.”
Practice saying these words and phrases at different times during the day. Worshipping God for who He is – not what He gives you – goes far beyond a set time of centering prayer for a pregnancy.
4. Rest in silence after you pray for a baby
Taking two or three minutes to transition from centering prayer to back to your everyday life. This helps set and cement your intimacy with God in your heart, mind, and soul. A huge and exciting benefit of learning how to pray for a baby is that it helps you feel peaceful, hopeful, faithful, and able to accept of whatever God allows into your life.
No prayer to get pregnant will guarantee you’ll conceive a baby, but prayer can may you spiritually, physically, and emotionally stronger to deal with whatever happens.
The purpose of pregnancy prayer is to give you peace, hope, and acceptance – whether or not you get pregnant. Knowing how to pray for a baby is important – and so is knowing when it’s time to get medical advice from fertility specialists.
Is it taking longer than a year to get pregnant? Read Find Out Why You Can’t Get Pregnant – 4 Fertility Checklists.
Help With Pregnancy Prayers
In Praying Through Your Pregnancy A Week-by-Week Guide, Jennifer Polimino Carolyn Warren share fresh spiritual insight for pregnancy.
Each chapter reveals what is happening with the baby’s development that week, starting with the very first moment of conception, when God begins the creation of either a boy or a girl.
You’ll learn how the confidence you place in God affects the healthy development of your precious growing baby, and how to reduce your own stress and anxiety by looking to the Creator.
In this interactive guidebook, Jennifer shares excerpts from her pregnancy journal as an encouragement for women to write their own thoughts and feelings. Each chapter ends with a Mother’s Prayer and Scriptures for Meditation.
I welcome your baby prayers, hopes, and intentions in the comments section below. If you have any thoughts on how to pray for a baby, please share!
xo
www.theadventurouswriter.com
Does fear grip your heart everytime you think about the possibility of losing your baby? I know the feeling. I also know that God is a healer, even after experiencing 4 miscarriages within an 18 year period. From the moment I found out that I was pregnant to the day of delivery, I prayed and created Faith declarations. I read them out loud into the atmosphere.
God taught me a lot throughout my pregnancy. For one, He taught me to rely on Him. It was hard, but I made it through. God wants to help you make it through as well. So, the next time a negative thought enters your mind, pray. Envision yourself holding your baby in your arms in the future. God is able to make it happen.
I would often imagine holding my baby in my arms. I have to say, be careful what you pray for. I used to hate that saying, “be careful what you pray for because you just might get it.” I thought it was such a cliché – until I experienced it firsthand.
I prayed and prayed to give birth to a healthy baby. Boy did I get it. I also got everything else that goes along with having a baby. I experienced many sleepless nights, but, it was well worth it.
Excuse any grammar mistakes or spelling errors. Forgive me for jumping around. Don’t judge me. I have an excuse, I haven’t gotten a full eight hours of sleep since Thanksgiving of 2014. Cut me some slack. I have a legitimate excuse. Only kidding.
I am so excited for what God has done for me and so many other women. I’m excited for what God is about to do for you. When God blesses you, please come back to this page and give your testimony.
Anyway, I am a 40-year-old new mother. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby since 1997. God has blessed us with a miracle. It is 2:58 in the morning and the baby has FINALLY fallen asleep after crying her eyes out. She is 10 weeks old.
I wanted to share my testimony since I was in the hospital, but I’ve been so busy caring for my new miracle. I finally have a chance to share what God has done for me. God is a prayer answering God. He is full of pregnancy miracles. He wants you to experience a pregnancy miracle too.
In this post, I would like to share one of the prayers that I prayed. You are free to pray this prayer (daily) throughout your pregnancy.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you for this gift. I thank you for choosing me to be a mom. But, I am fearful. I’m not even going to pray what I’m fearful about (you know). Instead, I’m going to pray the opposite of fear. I’m going to pray FAITH.
I AM HEALED even though the doctor’s report states that I have a high risk pregnancy. I believe that you are ABLE to carry me through. I will have a good pregnancy and a pain-free pregnancy. I know that I’m asking for a lot, but I know through you, all things are possible.
I feel Encouraged because I know you hear me. I’m not going to worry because you are with me every step of the way.
I pray for an abundance of peace. I need peace to carry me through the day, afternoon and especially at night. Oh, God, I feel your presence. I’m resting in you because I know you are watching over me and taking excellent care of me and my future baby. You are covering my womb with your hands. Like in Isaiah 54:17 – No weapon against me shall prosper. My life and my unborn baby’s life is in your hands. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
I pray that this prayer will be a blessing to you. You don’t have to memorize this prayer. Simply pray it once a day or multiple times a day. During my pregnancy, I would read my prayer once a day in the morning. Before I created my own prayer, I found a pregnancy prayer by Kenneth Copeland Ministries. This prayer really helped me. I read it daily, sometimes twice a day! Here is the prayer entitled: A Prayer for Those Desiring Children.
Next, I created a list of prayer declarations. I started out with a short list and it eventually grew to a long list of prayer declarations.
When you write and read your prayer declarations out loud (daily), something powerful happens. Praying and saying your prayer declarations out loud is an act of Faith. Job 22:28 reads: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways.”
When you speak Positive things, positive things happen. Here is sample prayer declaration list that I used during my pregnancy and it worked for me. I pray that it works for you. You can tweak it to your liking.
- I AM blessed.
- AM no longer high risk.
- I will give birth to a healthy baby.
- I am having a stress-free pregnancy.
- I have optimal health.
- My baby has optimal health.
- My test results are normal.
- My baby’s test results are excellent.
- I WILL have a Good day.
- No weapon formed against me shall prosper.
- God is with me.
- I have no fear.
- I will have Supernatural Peace during my doctor’s appointment.
- I will have Supernatural Peace daily.
- I will have a Supernatural Pregnancy and Birth.
- God is in control of my pregnancy.
- I Will have a PAIN FREE pregnancy.
- I Love You Lord.
- I Trust you have heard my prayers.
- I AM more than blessed.
- I’m looking forward to holding my miracle baby in my hands.
Are you in need of Special Prayer? Send me your prayer request, testimony or praise report on my Facebook page here: Miscarriage and High Risk Pregnancy.
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Expecting, Pregnant, With Child, In the family way, A most exciting time!
With doctor’s appointments, an expanding abdomen, ultrasounds, and baby showers, the focus of baby’s development is dominated by her physical growth. But she is progressing more than that. Just as her body grows daily in your womb, so her spirit is learning from the Lord.
We all know the promises of Psalm 139, but the Bible contains many more assurances for unborn children. Father is intricately involved in the development of your child. He is the giver of life, forming and protecting her.
The following is certainly not an exhaustive list but comprises of scriptures that will encourage a pregnant mother. They demonstrate the God has his hand on your baby while she is in the womb. You might like to pray through these verses as you are pregnant and claim these promises. Whether you are mother-to-be, grandmother-to-be, Aunty-to-be, or happy friend, your prayers make a difference in her tiny life.
The Gift of Life
After all, God is the one who gave life to each of us before we were born (Job 31:15, CEV).
God is the giver of life. Life is not the result of chance. It is not an accident or fluke. Life comes about because God gives. He grants life to each baby before birth. Your baby has been filled with his life.
Commissioned by Heaven
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 NIV).
Baby has a destiny. More than that, she is commissioned by heaven. She is set apart to declare the Lord’s plan to the nations. She is known by the Almighty and marked for him. She is chosen and loved. A pregnant woman does not carry just another baby, she carries one appointed by the Lord for greatness.
Formed by the Lord in the Womb
This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself (Isaiah 44:24 NIV).
Father sees baby in the womb. He listens to her heartbeat. He shapes her delicate parts and forms her perfectly. There is no need to worry about deformities or abnormalities. His hands gently mould her beautiful life, body and spirit.
Wonderfully Complex
He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love (Ephesians 4:16 MSG).
Every part of baby’s body fits together perfectly. All the intricate and complex parts, fashioned by God. Her whole body is healthy, growing, and full of love. I especially like that she is full of love. As her body is formed, God says that he is also filling her with love. More than anything, I want my children to be full of love. I don’t know about you, but it is the most important part of growth to me.
Taught of the Lord
I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace (Isaiah 54:13 NLT).
But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there (Psalm 51:6 NLT).
God is the ultimate teacher. He teaches us our entire life, beginning in the womb. Father teaches babies wisdom even there. Though humans are born with a sinful nature, God gets a head start by teaching children his ways in the womb. Your baby is wise with the Lord’s wisdom the minute she pops out. Wow! And a by product of learning from the Lord is great peace. Baby is peaceful. What mother does not want that?
Filled with the Holy Spirit
At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke1:41 NLT).
If Elizabeth was filled with the Spirit, her womb was too. No wonder John was such a powerhouse, he was soaked in the Spirit before he was born. Just as the Spirit bathed John, your baby is surrounded immersed in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit is intimately acquainted with her already. How awesome!
Sheltered with His Wings
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection (Psalm 91:1-4 NLT).
Lastly, baby is sheltered in the wings and feathers of the Lord. Baby is cradled in soft, beautiful feathers of protection. The womb is a safe place, a cocoon of protection. Protected from every deadly disease. Safe from harm. No wonder some babies never want to leave (well, at least my babies)! The womb is the ideal place for baby to flourish. Growing in stature, and growing in spirit, from the moment of conception.
Sarah Coleman is author of Expecting Daily Pregnancy Devotion and Make Yourself Amazing. You will find more of her encouraging thoughts on sarahcoleman.com.au.
Publication date: May 22, 2014
www.crosswalk.com
