This list gives expectant parents a set of Bible verses to read during pregnancy, the long wait before delivery, and the first days of caring for a newborn. It is written for mothers, fathers, and anyone sharing the anticipation of a child on the way. The verses share a common thread: God knows the child before birth, cares for the parent through uncertainty, and remains faithful when life is about to change.
Verses for Knowing a Child Before Birth
Many expectant parents spend months imagining a face they have not yet seen. These verses speak to the truth that the child is already known, formed, and held by God long before anyone can count the weeks.
Psalm 139:13-14
13 For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well.
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When you feel unready or unsure of what lies ahead, this psalm reminds you that the child’s life was shaped with care. Pause once a day and thank God for the body growing inside you or beside you, even on the tiring days.
Jeremiah 1:5
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
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God speaks here of knowing Jeremiah before he was born, and the same knowledge extends to your child. Write the verse on a card and place it where you will see it during the first ultrasound or the first kick.
Luke 1:41-44
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
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Elizabeth’s unborn child leaps for joy at Mary’s greeting, a moment of recognition before birth. Let this passage shape how you talk to your baby, speaking blessing and welcome aloud during quiet moments at home.
Verses for Fear and Uncertainty in the Waiting
The months before birth carry questions about health, money, labor, and whether you are ready. These verses address anxiety directly, pointing you toward a steadiness that does not depend on having every answer.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
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Paul invites believers to bring worries to God in prayer and with thanksgiving. Try naming one specific fear each evening, such as a scan result or a bill, and handing it over before you sleep.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
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God’s promise to strengthen and help his people speaks to parents who feel small beside the task ahead. Repeat the phrase “I am with you” slowly on the drive to a midwife appointment.
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
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David admits fear and then turns it toward trust in God. When fear rises at night, say this verse aloud and then name one thing you can do the next morning.
Matthew 6:34
Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.
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Jesus tells his listeners not to borrow tomorrow’s trouble. For parents who feel buried in planning the nursery, the crib, and the hospital bag, take one task at a time and leave the rest for the day it belongs to.
Verses for Strength During Labor and Delivery
Labor can feel long, unpredictable, and physically demanding. These passages point to God’s nearness and endurance, giving you words to return to when the hours stretch on.
Isaiah 40:29-31
29 He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. 30 Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; 31 But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
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The prophet says God gives strength to the weary and renews those who wait on him. Keep this passage in mind for the final weeks, and let it remind you that strength can come from outside your own reserves.
2 Corinthians 12:9
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
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Paul learned that God’s grace is sufficient in weakness. If labor leaves you feeling depleted, let this verse remind you that your limits are not the end of the story.
Psalm 121:1-2
1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
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The psalmist lifts his eyes to the hills and remembers where help comes from. Before you go to the hospital, look out a window and speak these lines as a short prayer for the road ahead.
John 16:21
A woman, when she gives birth, has sorrow, because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she doesn’t remember the anguish any more, for the joy that a human being is born into the world.
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Jesus uses the image of a woman in labor to describe sorrow turning into joy. Read this verse with your partner or a friend, and ask them to remind you of it when the pain is at its height.
Verses for Welcoming a Newborn and Family Life
Once the baby arrives, sleepless nights and constant needs fill the days. These verses root you in God’s faithfulness and in the gift of a family set in his care.
Psalm 127:3
Behold, children are a heritage of the LORD. The fruit of the womb is his reward.
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The psalm calls children a heritage from the Lord. On the hardest days of feeding and rocking, let this verse help you see the child as a gift and not only a demand.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6 These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
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Moses tells parents to speak God’s words when they sit at home and walk along the road. Begin small by reading a short Bible passage aloud while you feed the baby or fold laundry.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
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This proverb speaks of training a child in the way he should go. Think of it as a long pattern of guidance rather than a single lesson, and offer small acts of love and honesty each day.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
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Even in grief the writer remembers that God’s mercies are new every morning. When you wake exhausted, let this verse be the first thing you think of before you check the clock.
How to Use These Verses
Write a few of these verses on index cards or in a notebook, and place them where you spend the most time, such as the kitchen, the car, or the bedside table. Choose one or two verses each week rather than trying to memorize the whole list at once. Repetition in ordinary places tends to work better than long study sessions.
Pray the verses instead of only reading them. Turn a phrase like “I am with you” into a sentence you speak to God about your own situation, and let your partner or a close friend pray with you when words run short. Returning to the same verses through pregnancy, birth, and the first months can help them grow in meaning as your family changes.
A Short Prayer for Expectant Parents
Lord, you knew this child before the first heartbeat, and you know the parents who are waiting for them. We bring you our fears about the birth, our questions about the future, and our hope for the days ahead. Give us strength when labor feels long, and steady us when the nursery is still unfinished. Help us to trust that you are already at work in the life we are preparing to welcome. Teach us to love this child well, and to depend on your faithfulness each morning. Amen.
