9 weeks for 9 months: prayers for pregnancy (month 1)
I’m so excited for today.
Because today I’m finally launching something I’ve dreamed of doing for years on this blog.
Every day more people visit here looking for “prayers for pregnancy” than anything else. And I always wished I had more to offer them.
Especially for the heart-breaking searches: prayers for trying to conceive, prayers for an unwanted pregnancy, prayers for depression during pregnancy.
My dream is to have prayers for all of those searchers, and I am slowly at work on a bigger project around prayers for pregnancy – including prayers on infertility and miscarriage, and lots more Scripture.
But for now, I’ll be rolling out over the next nine weeks one prayer for each of the nine months of pregnancy. (All the prayers for pregnancy will end up here, too.)
Each prayer is inspired by one of the nine fruits of the Spirit that Paul describes in Galatians:
“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)
And the whole prayer series is inspired by Paul’s words that sum up the life of Christian faith:
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
Because if we live by the Spirit, let these nine months also be guided by the Spirit, whom we profess each Sunday in our creed to be the giver of life. These nine months of expectation and preparation, wonder and worry, joy and hope. All of is it caught up in the Spirit.
So without further ado, here is the prayer for the 1st month of pregnancy.
A prayer for love.
Month 1:
God of love,
Our desire for a child
Was born out of love:
For you,
For each other,
And for this new life.
In these first fragile weeks,
While the child within me
Is knit together in love,
Protect us both
And guide our growth.
Help me to remember
That this is how we love:
In the body,
In mystery,
In sacred surrender
To each other.
May my life be one of love,
And may my child grow
Into all that love has waiting.
In love I pray,
Amen.
© 2014 Laura Kelly Fanucci
(with thanks to the generous & talented Kendra of Catholic All Year for the beautiful memes!)
. . .
And if you’re not expecting a baby (and most of us aren’t!), I hope you’ll pass these prayers along to someone else.
In the meantime, here are some other places I’ve been writing lately:
- CatholicMom.com on 4 easy ways to start your day with morning prayer – when you first wake up or when you drive the kids to school!
- A re-run of my post on spiritual practices with newborns (feeding the baby) at Red Letter Christians
- An essay at Notre Dame’s FaithND on the night before my brother died and what he taught me about hope
I am a priest.
I wholeheartedly appreciate you for this wonderful ministry. I too take class for the couples who are getting to be married and my topic is “choose life”. I used to refer your monthly prayer and really it is inspiring. I suggested and even translated these prayers. I have seen all the comments and I would ask if anyone is in critical stage to choose life or life in danger in times of pregnancy please let me know I can offer their intentions in the Holy Mass. Thank You. God Bless you Laura.
Thank you so much for this……just starting the journey and trusting God to go with us
Hi Laura::
I am nervous as I write this. I have been losing my babies at month 5,6,7. And I have lost 5 babies . Graciously we have 2 living sons.
And yesterday I discovered I am pregnant again. I cannot tell my hubby yet ; because he is very scared for my life and all my family feels the same about me and pregnancies. Please pray for us.
I so want to hold my baby and bring my baby up with his or her brothers. ( my last trial)
Thank you for your good work.
Praying for you, Lyzette. You have suffered so much, and I hope you will be blessed with God’s peace and comfort.
Hi Laura,
A prayer for expectant mothers on bedrest would be a wonderful addition to your series.
Thank you for putting this together. God bless, Mary
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This is a wonderful idea, Mary. Thank you! I so appreciate your suggestion.
Dear Laura,
I am planing to get pregnant, i feel like i am pregnant next week only i will know. please pray for me i was waiting this precious gift almost a year, i want a baby .. i love my baby so much .. all the mothers in this please pray for me i need blessings.. hope next week my upt will be positive …
my heart full of hopes 🙁
Praying for you, Julie! I hope that next week will bring all good things!