Whether it's your first time or you're an experienced mother of numerous children, good health and a safe pregnancy is an important concern that you likely have. In the end, it doesn't matter the gender of the baby or when they’ll arrive — what all mothers really want is to deliver a healthy baby boy or girl.

In this article, we’ll share numerous prayers for pregnancy. First, a prayer from a wife and soon-to-be mother.

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for listening to my prayers for conception and the gift you gave my husband and me, the gift of life growing inside of me. I give my pregnancy to you. Without you, there would not be a baby growing inside of my womb.

Please watch over my unborn child as he or she continues to grow and matures throughout the trimesters.  Whether I give birth to a baby boy or girl, they will be loved and raised in a Christian household. I pray you place your hand on this little one. Help them be healthy and born without any complications.

Thank you, Lord. Amen.”

Next, a prayer from a soon-to-be new father.

“Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of my wife and unborn child. I am so happy to help bring a child into this world and raise them as a devoted Christian. To know you and your word is a gift. Please help me deliver your word to them and raise them in your image.

As a new and scared father, I am coming to you for courage. Please give me the strength to be there for my wife as our new child grows in their mother’s womb, and help me protect them when they are weak and vulnerable. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

As the delivery dates near for pregnant women who you love, it is very common for your thoughts to turn toward them. There is no shame in this. Anxiety does not mean you have doubt in the abilities of the new parents.

You can use the following prayer to support expecting mothers in the weeks or days before the baby comes.

“Dear Lord Jesus, please watch over my friend in the days leading up to her baby's delivery. I believe as her friend, you have put me in her life for many reasons. One of these reasons being to help her as she becomes a mother for the first time. 

Please watch over her as she delivers her new baby. Please guide the doctor's hands as they bring her little one into the world. Please give her the strength she needs to be the mom she has always wanted to be and make a speedy recovery following her delivery. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

If you are having trouble conceiving, do not give up, for Jesus is with you! When you are born into this world, you are placed on your own unique path by the Lord. Whether a child is in your future or not, you are following God's plan for you. He will intercede and bless you according to His timing and will.

As you are trying to conceive, daily prayer for fertility and conception can help you remember the Lord is watching out for you, and He has your desires in mind. Prayer can also bring a sense of calm in your time of anxiety.

The following is an example of a fertility prayer for while you are trying to conceive at the start of your journey.

“Dear Holy Spirit, thank you for the gift of marriage. As my husband and I are looking forward to starting our new Christian household, please bless us with the gift of children. It has always been our dream to have a large Christian family. Please help us conceive the children we have imagined filling our home.

Please give me patience and grant me comfort when my pregnancy tests come back negative. Please help me be calm, as this journey may take longer than expected. Please encourage me in times of frustration when I may want to give up.

Most of all, please grant me the serenity of knowing I am following your plan. If you choose for me not to conceive, please help me to be understanding and accepting of your plan. Thank you, Father God. In Jesus' name, Amen.”

If infertility is preventing you from bearing children, do not despair. There are still many other opportunities to be a parent. You may have been blessed with a fathering or mothering spirit, even if you are not able to have children. There are many children already on this Earth who need strong and loving Christian homes.

You can also be a safe haven for and positive influence on the nieces, nephews, and other children in your life.

There are many Bible verses about pregnancy and the gift of life. These scriptures speak of women who have delivered healthy children through faithful prayer. Turn to the scriptures when you need strength, and trust in the Lord in times of doubt or weakness.

Let’s read a few of these scriptures.

"But women will be saved through childbearing — if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety” (1 Timothy 2:15).

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him” (1 Samuel 1:27).

“A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world” (John 16:21).

“They will not labor in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them” (Isaiah 65:23).

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).

As you make plans for your family, remember God already has a plan for you.

If God chooses to grant you the gift of becoming a parent, it is a long journey full of ups and downs. Remember to find strength and self-control as you pray over the course of your fertility journey. The Bible is filled with God's word to guide you forward in His light. Take solace in God’s peace.

Hopefully, the prayers above regarding pregnancy, the baby's development, a successful delivery, and fertility will give you strength and comfort as you walk the path Jesus has carved for you.

For more prayer guidance, download the Pray.com app on the iOS App Store and Google Play.