These daily prayers for expectant parents give you words to bring to God while you wait for a child to arrive. You can pray the main prayer each morning, in the evening before sleep, or whenever the waiting feels heavy. Read it aloud exactly as written, or use it as a starting point and speak in your own words where your heart needs to say more.
Daily Prayers for Expectant Parents
Father, we come to you as two people who are waiting for a child we already love. Some mornings the excitement feels bright, and other mornings the fear of what could go wrong sits heavily on our chests. Be near to the body that is carrying this child, and to the doctors and midwives who watch over each appointment. Keep the little heartbeat steady and the days of growing peaceful.
We also bring you the things we cannot control: the cost of a crib and a car seat, the schedule at work, the question of whether we are ready. Help us trust you with the questions we cannot answer yet. Calm our anxious thoughts at night, and remind us that the child is already held in your hands long before we hold them. Give us patience with each other when we are tired and short-tempered, and tenderness when we are both afraid.
Prepare us for the birth and for the weeks that follow, when everything will change. Make us gentle with ourselves and with each other, and let us lean on the people you have placed around us. Thank you for this life and for the privilege of becoming parents. Amen.
A Shorter Version to Pray in a Moment
Lord, I am waiting and I am afraid, and I am also full of hope. Hold this baby and hold me. Steady my heart at this appointment, and calm the worries that crowd in when the house is quiet. Help my partner and me to hear each other kindly. Keep us in your care today, one day at a time. Amen.
Scriptures to Pray Alongside
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.
(WEB)
Pray this as you feel your baby move or think about the small body forming each week. Thank God that the child was known and shaped with care long before you saw the first ultrasound.
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.
(WEB)
When fear rises about the birth or what comes after, pray this promise back to God. Ask him to be the strength you lack and to hold you upright when you feel unsteady.
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.
(WEB)
Use this passage when the list of worries grows long. Bring each specific concern to God in prayer, naming it, and ask for the peace that guards your heart and mind.
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
(WEB)
Pray this when you cannot see how the next months will unfold. Ask God to guide your decisions about the nursery, the job, and the plans you are making, trusting him more than your own understanding.
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.
(WEB)
On the hardest days, when sleep is short and the future feels uncertain, pray this as a reminder that God’s mercies are new each morning. Ask him to give you fresh grace for the day in front of you.
How to Pray This Prayer
Many expectant parents find that the morning works best, while coffee is brewing or before the day begins. Keep a copy of the prayer on your phone or on a card by the kitchen sink so you can read it without searching. If you are the one carrying the baby, you might pray with your hand resting on your belly. If you are the partner, you might place a hand on your spouse’s back or shoulder as you pray together.
Consider inviting a close friend, a grandparent, or your pastor to pray this prayer with you once a week. Hearing another voice speak your hopes and fears can ease the loneliness that often comes with waiting. Write down any new worries that surface, and bring them back to God the next day. Over time, the prayers will show you how far you have already been carried.
A Blessing to Close
May the Lord who knit this child together in the womb keep you both in every season ahead. May he steady your hands, rest your mind, and fill your home with a peace that does not depend on the news of the day. May you be given courage for the birth and joy for the years that follow.
