Pregnancy brings with it so much excitement and joy!
But it is also a season of waiting, worrying, impatience, suffering (eh-hem, morning sickness), and more waiting.
Being pregnant has made me incredibly aware that I am not in charge. Outside of trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I have very little control over how this pregnancy progresses.
Thankfully, we have a heavenly Father who knows our future! This is the perfect example of how important it is to be totally dependent on Jesus for the health of our baby and ourselves.
It is so important to make Jesus Christ part of every moment of this pregnancy. He is our Healer, Protector, Father, Friend, and the Creator of the life inside of us.
Prayer is so powerful and it is essential!
It has the power to calm our fears, change our focus, and find comfort when we are completely uncomfortable (eh-hem, insomnia and heartburn anyone?)!
Below are 7 beautiful and important things to pray for during your pregnancy.
1.) Pray That Your Child Will Love & Serve Jesus
Even if this baby is the size of a pea, start praying for their salvation!
It is the most important decision your little one will ever make!
Pray that you will have the wisdom to point them to Christ every chance you get.
Pray that they will make the decision to follow Christ with their whole heart and serve Him their entire life.
It’s the greatest responsibility you will ever have to raise children to be faithful followers of Christ.
2.) Pray For the Health of You and Your Little One
If you download a pregnancy app, you have the joy of following along with your baby’s progression.
Each week, you get to see what your body is miraculously “cooking up”. A tiny beating heart, hands, feet, eyes, hair, etc.
As these tiny body parts form, you probably get the privilege of experiencing morning sickness, acid reflux, cramps, back pain, insomnia, and much more.
But you also get to experience the excitement of feeling the fluttering and movement of your baby inside of you. A total miracle!
From the moment I saw that positive pregnancy test, I started praying for the health of me and my baby.
I prayed for the Lord to give me the strength to grow this baby into a healthy and happy little being.
I prayed for baby’s tiny heart, brain, fingers and toes.
But my husband and I also prayed that the Lord’s will would be done in this pregnancy and that we would have the grace and contented spirit to love and accept whatever He gave us.
Psalm 139:13-14 “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
3.) Pray For Your Husband
Becoming parents is an incredibly bonding experience for you and your spouse.
You created a life together and now you are going to have an adorable mini-me taking charge of your life for a while.
But this new phase also has some challenges.
Parenting styles, splitting of domestic duties, finances, parents/in-law discussions, sleeplessness, intimacy, and stress – to name a few.
Pray that your husband will be the amazing Father you know he can (and will) be.
Women usually have a special connection with their newborn infant and a God-given ability to handle the challenge of motherhood. (If you don’t feel this way, reach out for help!)
Many Dad’s will attest to the fact that parenting a newborn did not come naturally immediately. (Again, this isn’t always the case. )
This new, all-consuming responsibility can be challenging for your relationship.
Pray that God will keep you both bonded and compassionate towards one another. Pray that your family will bond into a beautiful family unit. And pray that God gives your husband the strength to lead your little family in the direction He has for you all.
4.) Pray About Your Fears
Are you nervous about labor and delivery? Perhaps you have an illness and you are afraid how it will effect you and the baby. Maybe there’s a stressful family relationship that you are worried about.
We also live in a strange time where the world is battling COVID-19, creating regulations on doctor’s visits and your spouse being able to attend big moments with you.
During these uncertain times, prayer is the most grounding thing you can do.
God has an amazing way of working things out and giving us peace about things that frighten us.
If you need a good cry, cry it out to God! He is your Protector, Comforter, and Healer. He knows what you are going through and only He has the answer.
Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
5.) Pray That You’ll Be a Godly, Loving Mother
Mom’s come in all different packages and no two are alike!
If you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with all the advice from other moms, bloggers, books, websites, social media etc. – STOP!
A valuable piece of advice that I received was as follows: “If you overwhelm yourself with everyone else’s opinions, you are actually dulling your own God-given mothering instinct. Pick one or two good pregnancy books and that’s it! Everything doesn’t have to be perfect and you don’t need to know everyone else’s opinions. It’s not good for you. Trust your instincts. You’ll be surprised at how things come naturally.”
Now that you are a Mom, your greatest responsibility will be nurturing and raising your baby(s) to be Christ-followers.
Being a Mom is tough and it will challenge you in ways that you didn’t even know possible! (The exhaustion is a whole other topic.)
But the rewards are amazing and the momma-love you will feel is unconditional and endless.
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
6.) Pray For Family Relationships
Everyone knows someone who struggles with relationships inside their family.
Perhaps it is a parent/in-law issue, sibling rivalry, jealousy, financial problem, or lack of boundaries.
Family tension can be a huge source of anxiety and stress during pregnancy if it isn’t properly addressed by you and your spouse.
First, you absolutely have to be on the same page. Having a conversation and agreeing about the issue is imperative. Otherwise, it can come between you – something that should not happen!
Pray about it together. Ask for God’s guidance on what to do and ask for His will do be done.
Then you need to address the issue in a biblical way.
Sometimes the outcome is restoration, while other times it is better boundaries and/or distance.
Having a new baby in the family can stir up a lot of emotions. Make sure your family unit (you, your spouse, and your baby(s)) come first.
Ask for God’s guidance and carefully take the steps to address the relationship issue.
7.) Pray Through Your Symptoms and Sickness
The majority of women have moments of suffering throughout their pregnancy (sometimes all 9 months)!
When you feel the morning sickness, headaches, heartburn, fatigue, nausea, food aversions, back pain, etc. – tell the Lord about it!
He loves it when you talk to Him!
Sometimes, in the middle of my complaining about my symptoms, I think about women struggling with infertility or the loss of a baby. They would give anything to be “suffering” through what I am right now.
Often, prayer helps to shift my focus from one of misery to one of gratitude.
If you are struggling with greater health issues during your pregnancy, ask God for the protection of you and your baby. He hears you and He loves you!
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
