Fashioned by You

"Your hands made and formed me; give me understanding to learn Your commands." - Psalm 119:73

My God,
I praise Your marvelous works! I can't even begin to imagine all of the intricacies of the development of this baby, but You know and see all. I know that You are attentively watching this baby form and already know him/her by name. I ask that you plant within this child an ability to understand the things of You. Write your commands on his/her heart so that he/she may follow You all of his/her days. My heart rejoices in You! Amen.

Build our Spiritual House

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain." - Psalm 127:1

Lord,
You are the architect of our lives and our family. Your design is flawless and will stand the tests of this life. We invite you to be our engineer and general contractor, as well. Give us a solid foundation, and build up our lives in You. Let Your truths radiate through us to our children. Help us to rely not on our own efforts, but solely on You. Amen.

Clean Spiritual House

"You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me; but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments." - Exodus 20:5

Father,
You know all of the weaknesses in our family. You know in what areas we are continually drawn to sin. Lord, we repent for our household. We know the blood of Jesus covers all and that His work is complete through the cross. We pray that You redeem anything in this family that the enemy would like to claim as his. Seal, strengthen, and rebuild what he has already tarnished. Protect us. Do not let the enemy have a foothold. Search every nook and cranny in our spiritual house. Clean every closet. Remove anything that would hinder Your Spirit from moving in us. Thank You for restoration and redemption. Let this baby grow up in the confidence and knowledge that our foundation is sure and firm in You. Amen.

Prioritizing my day with You

"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You in expectation." - Psalm 5:3


Dear Lord,

Thank You for the gift of allowing us to have a personal and intimate relationship with You through prayer. Among all of my comings and goings, I ask that You help me find time to have intimacy with You, the Creator of my child and me. Help me prioritize my life in a way that is pleasing to You. My entire day is Yours, and I pray that it would unfold as You have created it to. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Mentors

"Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?" - Job 12:12
"These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and children." - Titus 2:4

Father,
Thank You for the examples of motherhood You've provided and continue to provide for me. Help me honor and respect the women in my life for the jobs they have done raising children. Allow my eyes and ears to see and hear the advice You may be sending me through others. Let me receive it as You intended. When ungodly advice is given, let Your Spirit fill me with graciousness and humility. Help me to respond in a kind and respectful fashion. Surround me with mentors that You have selected, and protect me from those whose advice is worldly and unhelpful. In Jesus' name, amen.

Spiritual Heritage

"I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also." - 1 Timothy 1:5

God,
Thank You for the spiritual heritages that Adam and I have been given through our families. I ask that You help us continue to seek out sound teaching and opportunities to exhibit our strong faith. Guard our hearts and doctrine closely. Help us reflect these things to our child and to pass on this strong heritage to the next generation of our family. Give our child a strong sense of his/her position in Your Kingdom. May he/she live a holy life and understand the lasting consequences of immorality. Enable us to see Your saving grace grow in this family year after year. Amen.

Forty Weeks of Spiritual Journey

"And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights." - Genesis 7:12
"The Israelites had moved about the desert for forty years." - Joshua 5:6
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry." - Matthew 4:1-2

Lord,
What a wonder that You selected a gestation period of forty weeks! Let me learn from the stories in the Bible in which your followers perservered for a specific length of time to receive a newness that You promised.  During the trying times of my journey, give me strength, endurance, an open heart to learn, and open ears to hear Your voice. Give me the patience I need to wait for the promise that You are giving me through parenthood. Prepare me as the pregnancy progresses. Let me cling to You for direction and diligence. Thank You for allowing me to walk this spiritual journey with You. Amen.


*For more about the number forty in the Bible, visit http://www.40day.com/40_in_the_bible.html.

Samson and Manoah

"So Manoah asked him, 'When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?'" - Judges 13:12

Lord,
Thank You for the story of Samson's conception and birth. I ask that you will rise up fervency in us like that of Manoah and his wife. Let us be in unity concerning the spiritual raising of this child, and let our will line up with Yours. I pray that we will be godly parents and will teach this baby by example. Help us to live righteous lives through You, demonstrating salt and light in our home and to all those around us. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Thank You for Fathers

Proverbs 1:1-9

Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Adam. I am continuously impressed by the giftings he has and his ability to lead our household. I ask that You bless him abundantly. Continue to draw him closer and closer to You. Prepare him for his new role as a father. Help me to encourage and strengthen his faith along the way. I also pray for any other men that will have spiritual impacts on my husband and future child. Use them to build up Adam/baby's character and to strengthen their beliefs. Amen.

Dedication to the Lord

"From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother's womb You have been my God." - Psalms 22:10

Lord,
Just as Hannah dedicated Samuel, we dedicate this child's life to You. We realize that we are earthly parents and that this child is truly Yours. You have entrusted this baby to us to instill Your Word in his/her heart and to instruct him/her in the fear and admonition of You. Surround us with the necessary people and tools to do so. Remind us that the spiritual raising of this child should be our top priority in parenting. Amen.

Signs and Symptoms

"And the Lord worked with them and confirmed His Word by the signs that accompanied it." - Mark 16:20

God,
I honor the fact that You are working to make all things according to Your perfect plan, and I thank You that where Your Word is confirmed that there will be signs to follow. Let me rest in Your peace, knowing that whatever signs or symptoms I might experience are ordained by You. Protect me from worry, doubt, and fear. Help me to discern when I truly need to seek help. I give this area of my life to You. Amen.

Maintaining Good Health

"Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you." - 3 John 2

God,
I praise You for keeping me in Your hands throughout this pregnancy. I pray that where there is illness or complication, You will heal. Please keep my child safe and healthy. Help me maintain a lifestyle that will promote vitality and growth. Remind me of the importance of the decisions I make about food and exercise. Amen.

Praying for Baby

"But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Phillipians 4:6

Lord,
Thank You for the ability You give us to have a personal relationship with You through prayer. I know that my family is of high priority to You. Help us reciprocate Your love and dedication to us. Instill in  us a deep desire and direction of how to pray for our child. Place a commitment and determination in us that the enemy can't shake or undermine. Let us not become dependent on ourselves, but remind us of the hope that only You can give. Amen.

Recording Our Journey

"At the Lord's command, Moses recorded the stages of their journey." - Numbers 33:2

Dear Father,
I praise You for the chance that You have given me to be a mother. I pray that You would provide opportunities each day for me to contemplate Your miracle that's within me. I ask for the diligence to keep a written record of the things that I think, feel, and learn during pregnancy so that I (and others with me on this journey) may be able to look back and reflect on what You have done. Holy Spirit, guide me through this process. Open my eyes to how You want to use my family to bring glory to Your kingdom. Thank you for the hope that we have in You through Jesus! Amen.