Prayer For Expectant Mothers
Dear Lord of Life,
Even before birth, and the first breaths of life, I dedicate our baby to You. I want her to be wholly consecrated and set aside for You.
As parents, we commit to raise this new one in righteousness and grace. We will love each other deeply. We will speak of You, and pray to You, and look to You in our home. We will fellowship with other believers and introduce this baby to Your disciples. We will treasure Your Word and give it honor. We will seek out and welcome the lost. We will forgive and ask for forgiveness. We will practice kindness. We will love the poor and abandoned. We will live under the covering of grace. We will give away the grace weve received. We will fear You as Almighty and trust You as Savior.
We come with uncertainties, sin, and shortcomingsall the things that could keep us from trying. When we lose our way or fail in our efforts, remind us to run toward the cross. Not on our own, but by Your strength, we commit to be godly parents.
We intentionally lay our treasure before You; returning the gift You have given. We know that Your goodness is greater than ours. We trust in Your wisdom more than our own. We have faith in You, not ourselves.
With reverence and devotion, we dedicate our child-yet-unseen to You; the Lord God Almighty; Wondrous and Awesome; Esteemed and Adored. May this sweet one honor You all the days of her life. By grace, You will make us parents, and from grace, we pray in Your name.
Amen
Dear God of Abundance,
You know my fears even before I speak them, but still, I lay them before You. I am overwhelmed by how much I dont know, and I feel wholly inadequate for the task of parenting.
I have read the books and watched the videos until my mind is fuzzy from information overload. Im not sure whats right. Do babies sleep on their backs or is it their sides? Should I nurse every three hours or on demand? Pacifier or no pacifier? Cloth or disposable? Strollers? Car seats? Bath time? Everyone has an incredibly detailed opinion.
I see moms who try too hard and stress out everyone around them. I fear that could be metrying in vain to be a germ freak. A safety monitor. A nutritionist. A pseudo-pediatrician. A makeshift child psychologist. Its scary. In my inadequacy, I could become consumed with perfection for my baby. Please stop me before I start. I want to be a balanced mother, with peaceful children and a tranquil home. I know these things are by-products of grace and mercy and rest. I surrender all my misguided efforts and confess that I am totally dependent on You.
Speak deeply into my spirit; mentoring my decisions, teaching me to be a mother. I rest in Your assurance to provide beyond what I can give. I take heart in knowing that Your knowledge is complete. I can quit worrying because You promise to be what I cant. Because confidence is mine through Christ and because You are more than adequate in all things, I pray in Your great name.
Amen
Lord God, Creator of all things, mighty and awesome, just and forgiving, you alone are good and kind. You saved Israel from all manner of plagues, making our forefathers your chosen people, and hallowing them by the touch of your Spirit. You, by the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, prepared the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mary to be a worthy dwelling for your Son. You filled John the Baptist with the Holy Spirit, causing him to leap with joy in his mother's womb. Accept the offering of a humble spirit, and grant the heartfelt desire of your servant, N. who pleads for the safety of the child you allowed her to conceive. Guard the life that is yours; defend it from all the craft and spite of the pitiless foe. Let your gentle hand, like that of a skilled physician, aid her delivery, bringing her offspring safe and sound to the light of day. May her child live to be reborn in holy baptism, and continuing always in your service, be found worthy of attaining everlasting life; through Christ our Lord.
Lord, we beg you to visit this dwelling, and to drive away from it and from this servant of yours, N, all the enemy's wiles. Let your holy angels be appointed here to keep her and her offspring in peace; and let your blessing + ever rest upon her. Save them, almighty God, and grant them your everlasting light; through Christ our Lord.
Almighty God,
Send your angels to keep guard as labour begins, Lord comfort and protect us all.
Surround us with your hope and goodness.
Hold us through each wave of delivery.
Give to us a perfect life.
Come hold us safely within your promises, now and forever.
Amen.
Dear God,
May you watch my sleep as I carry this baby.
May your hand be upon this little life as it develops in my womb.
May you fill our hearts with joy, and our bodies with peace.
May we feel you so close to us as we sense your amazing creativity at work.
We rest in you.
Amen.
All loving God,
you created the human family
as a reflection of your own divine life
so that your creation might share in your happiness.
Hear our prayer for your daughter
who awaits the birth of her child.
She has cooperated with you in giving life.
Assist her now as she prepares to give birth
to the child in her womb.
May Mary be her guide and support,
calming her fears and strengthening her love.
May your daughter be filled with your peace and blessing,
so that she may bring her child into this world safely and in good health
to the praise and glory of your name. Amen.
God of Infinite Goodness, watch over expectant mothers as they await the birth of their child. Grant these women confidence and strength to dispel their anxiety and fear. Bless them with the courage and faith of Mary, always listening to your will and trusting in your loving care. As they prepare to bring new life into the world, grace them with good health and great joy. We look to you and your Son, Jesus Christ, as a sign of mercy and joy. We ask this through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes in the name of your Son, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. AMEN.
Lord Jesus, I lovingly pray for this sweet hope
that I keep within my womb.
You have granted me the immense gift
of a tiny little life,
living in my own life,
and I humbly thank you for choosing me
as an instrument of your love.
In this sweet waiting,
help me to live in a constant attitude
of self-surrender to your will.
Grant me a motherly heart that is pure,
steadfast and generous.
I hand over to you my own concerns;
any anxious fears that may come,
my own wishes for the little person
that I still have no knowledge of.
Grant that it may be born healthy in body,
keep far from it every peril to its soul.
Mary, you have known
the ineffable joy of a holy motherhood;
give me a heart that can transmit an ardent, living
faith.
Sanctify my waiting,
bless this joyful hope that is in me,
grant that the fruit of my womb
may open out in virtue
and in holiness through your working
with that of your divine Son.
Amen.