Baby Prayers

Every morning I follow a certain routine. I roll out of bed, stumble up the stairs to the kitchen, try to avoid checking my phone immediately {most days I am unsuccessful, we’re a work in progress}, attempt to make just enough coffee for Mr. Z and I and not too much {this too I am rarely successful at} and so goes the morning routine. At one point I always find myself cuddled on our chaise lounge with my Bible and my coffee.

At this stage of life, with Baby Z growing inside me, my prayers often have to do with learning to savor this time as well as prepare for the gift we will receive in the spring of next year. A few weeks ago I was quite overwhelmed with prayers for Baby Z. There are so many things I would like to pray for this little one and yet as I considered them all I was paralyzed. Where do I start?

• Health
• Safety
• His/her future
• To parent him/her well
• That we would bond immediately
• S/he would like us ;-)
• S/he would love Jesus

And the list could go on. I truly didn’t know where to begin and then wondered if the prayers I thought I should pray were even any good. So my prayer changed to, “Father, show me how to pray for this little one. Show me your heart for the one you are knitting together inside me.”

Our God is so many things, one of which is kind, gentle and right on time. I opened my Bible and as I began reading a verse called out to me and I knew this was to be my prayer for now.

“May the Lord direct your heart into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:5

I experienced one of those beautiful moments with my Maker when I knew He was showing me what to pray for Baby Z.

Oh little one, may the Lord direct your heart into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance for all the days of your life. Let it begin now as you grow, created in His image for His purposes.

I wrote this verse on a piece of scratch paper and taped it to the mirror in my bathroom. Every day I see it and pray it. And the more I do the more I see how profound this verse is for a life in Christ. It is through our hearts being directed into God’s love that we are then able to persevere through this life. I know this child will face many joys and many difficulties in his/her life. If his/her heart is sheltered in God’s love then s/he will be able to possess the perseverance of Christ and live a victorious life.

I continue to pray for health and safety and that s/he would like us {among other silly things too}, but I have an overarching focused prayer on what I really believe He wants for this little one.

Did you pray a specific verse over your little one while s/he was in the womb? How about as s/he grew into toddler age and older?