The birth of a baby is a true gift of fate. However, the expectant mother does not forget for a minute that a great test awaits her ahead, as well as terrible pain. That is why many rely on God's help. Prayer before childbirth will give you confidence and strength at a crucial moment, and fear will certainly leave you if you put all your faith into prayer.
It is believed that a believing Orthodox Christian woman should turn to God not only during childbirth, but also before conceiving a child, during the period of gestation. The more often you call on God's help in prayer, the calmer and more confident you will feel. It is very important to remember prayer during childbirth. If you read a prayer in the midst of contractions, it will become a little easier - the pain will calm down.
For a long time, Orthodox Christian women have offered prayers to the Holy Mother of God before childbirth. She is considered the patroness of mothers and their children. If desired, close people of a woman giving birth can gather in a church or at home in front of the image of the Mother of God, and then read together a prayer for a successful outcome of the birth and the birth of a healthy, strong baby.
Such a religious text is primarily pronounced in order to provide assistance to the woman in labor. In more detail, it is read for the following purposes:
- to relieve severe pain;
- to relieve difficult, protracted labor;
- in order to eliminate complications that arise during difficult contractions;
- to relieve heavy bleeding if it begins during childbirth;
- to rid the baby of a pathology that doctors could diagnose in the early stages of pregnancy.
Interestingly, prayer addressed to the Most Holy Theotokos helps not only pregnant or giving birth women. It can also be pronounced if a woman is unable to become pregnant and bear a child.
Even if you are infertile, you should not give up. You need to seek help with such prayer and ask the Lord to give you a healthy child. However, you should not limit yourself to one sacred text. You are also encouraged to visit church, go to confession and receive communion. In this case, prayer will have much more power. When you are in church, first of all, buy three candles and place them near the image of the Virgin Mary. Then read “Our Father” and only after that ask the Mother of God for health for your unborn child.
Do not forget that you need to turn to the Mother of God throughout your entire pregnancy, and not just during childbirth. In this case, you will feel much calmer, and you won’t worry so much about the successful completion of the birth. You can read the prayer book not only to the Mother of God, but also to other saints:
- Great Martyr Catherine;
- Xenia of Petersburg;
- Anastasia the Pattern Maker.
If the doctors have informed you that you need to prepare yourself for a rather difficult birth, it is best to read a prayer to Joachim and Anna. This couple could not have a child for a very long time, but they prayed to the Lord so fervently and for a long time that they were given a child.
Prayer of a woman in labor to the Savior
Calling on the Son of God, a woman in labor will definitely feel His support.
Prayer to Jesus before childbirth
Our Lord God, Jesus Christ, Savior and Defender, from the Most High God the Father, through reverence and the assistance of the Holy Spirit, was born in the womb of the Virgin Mary as a baby and was laid in a manger, for the Creator at the creation of the world created man and woman, gave them the commandment to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, according to Your great mercy, have mercy on Your servant, who is in childbirth according to Your commandment. Lord, forgive me all my sins, voluntary and involuntary, bless me for a successful birth of a healthy baby, keep me and the child in health and well-being, place Your angels near us to protect us from the arrows of the evil one. Amen.
Spiritual preparation
You need to prepare for childbirth not only physically and psychologically, but also spiritually. What does it mean? A pregnant woman must definitely visit the temple before giving birth, attend services, confess and partake of the Mysteries of Christ. No matter how you carry your baby, birth can be unpredictable. And doctors are not always able to influence the outcome of childbirth. Only the Lord is all-merciful and all-powerful.
Just a few centuries ago, a woman in labor could not rely on anyone but God. Healing midwives did not approach a pregnant woman without praying. A lamp was burning in the corner in front of the icons, and all the relatives were sincerely praying. Today, people mainly rely on doctors, and only in extreme cases remember prayer. Few people believe in miracles these days. But they do happen. According to our faith it will be for us. There are many cases where prayer during childbirth worked miracles: severe labor pains subsided, those who could not be relieved of their burden were relieved, and even bleeding during childbirth stopped.
Prayer to Nicholas the Pleasant for childbirth
You can read the prayer service anywhere in the church, at home. You can read the text of the prayer, or you can ask in your own words. The expectant mother must definitely buy an amulet of the icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Great God, Giver and Preserver of life, I thank You for Your mercy, by which I (name), Your humble servant, received the grace of childbearing, I have an embryo in me, Your eyes see it from the very conception.
Holy Saint, I am very afraid that because of my sins I may suffer during childbirth, and therefore I resort to Your mercy and protection.
I do not ask You to save me from the fate of the female race, which God predestined to give birth in pain, for this is the law for all who are born in sin.
I pray to you, holy saint, when my time comes to give birth, bless my permission, deliver me from pain that I cannot withstand.
Fulfill, Nikola the Wonderworker, the desire of my heart and my husband, grant us the birth of a child.
May the baby come into the world of God whole, healthy and strong, given to us by the grace of the generosity of the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, for our sake in the Womb, born by man through the blood of the Most Pure Virgin Mary. Glory to the Son, Father and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Who to pray to
From generation to generation, Orthodox women in labor offer prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos. Being pure in her thoughts, the Saint gave birth to Jesus Christ painlessly. She is considered the patroness of mothers and their children.
There are a number of miraculous icons depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary:
- “Assistant in childbirth”;
- "Feodorovskaya";
- "Baby Leap";
- "Quick to Hear";
- "Healer"
This is not the entire list of icons in front of which pregnant women pray.
Of course, pregnant women also pray to the Lord God. Also, during childbirth, in all sorrows, they say a prayer to the Matrona of Moscow. The saint helps women in labor gather strength and successfully give the world a new life. They also pray to the Holy Great Martyr Catherine, Anastasia the Pattern Maker, and Xenia of St. Petersburg.
In case of difficult labor, they turn to Anna and Jokim (parents of the Most Holy Theotokos), Elizabeth and Zechariah (parents of John the Baptist). Faith in God and constant prayer led to the birth of a child for these couples after many decades of infertility.
Prayer for a safe birth in front of the icon of the Mother of God of Kozelshchansk
The icon was painted in the Hodegetria style, widespread throughout Europe. It has Italian roots, it was from there that it came to the territory of Russia and became one of the revered ones by the Orthodox Church and believers.
The image on the icon is rare. Baby Jesus reclines in his mother's arms. In his right hand he has a cross. On the table next to it there is a cup and a spoon - a spoon with a cross on the handle, symbols of the sacrament of communion.
The icon is currently located in the Kozelshchansky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery. It is there that women come to ask the Mother of God for a successful birth, as well as to grant them the happiness of motherhood.
First prayer
Second prayer
Questions for the priest
Who else can you turn to for help during childbirth?
There are several other saints who help women. A prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for the birth of a healthy child is strong and effective. During his lifetime, the Saint Pleasant paid a lot of attention to protecting and caring for women. He treated them, removed damage, and relieved them of deadly diseases. A tearful appeal to St. Nicholas by grief-stricken mothers brought their children back to life. The saint takes care of all women. He helps girls get married successfully and find a loving and caring spouse. They also pray to him when it takes a long time to get pregnant, so that the birth goes well and the child is healthy, smart, and a good student.
When choosing saints, one should remember Saints Anna and Joachim - the parents of the Virgin Mary. They did not have children, did not lose hope and constantly prayed to the Lord to give them a child. Already at an advanced age, they finally became the parents of an amazing girl who infinitely loved the Lord - Mary, the mother of Christ.
Saints Joachim and Anna help to get pregnant, carry a healthy child and give birth safely. Women who are diagnosed with infertility especially often turn to them. Not right away, but they manage to get pregnant.
Don't be afraid of childbirth, it's a natural process. Prayers to the patron saints will help you survive them with less suffering and have a healthy baby.
Mother's prayer for her pregnant daughter
Not only the expectant mother, but also her mother, as well as relatives can make a request for her and her baby’s health. Since her mother herself has already experienced all the delights of this state, she can understand her daughter. They feel very strongly about this condition of their daughters, because they know how difficult it is. To relieve stress and provide moral support to her daughter, a mother can read a prayer to help during the birth of her daughter.
“Most Holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Thy servant (name) and help in this hour so that her burden may be resolved safely. O all-merciful Lady Theotokos, give help to this Thy servant, who requires help, especially from You. I bow down to you, Mother of the Most High God, be merciful, the time has come for her to be a mother, and beg Christ our God, incarnate from You, to strengthen her with His power from above. Amen"
The meaning of this text is that the Mother of God grants a successful gestation of the fetus, so that her daughter is healthy and full of strength, about preserving the fetus, as well as about quick and painless childbirth.
Also read: Troparion to Peter and Fevronia
Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God of Feodorovskaya for a successful birth
Wishing for an easy birth and not having to have a caesarean section, pregnant women turn to the Icon of the Mother of God of Feodorovskaya for help. Since ancient times, this image has been revered in Rus' and people pray in front of it, asking for help not only during pregnancy, but also in cases where it has been difficult to conceive a child for a long time.
It is advisable to read all three texts in order. If you don’t have time or it’s difficult to concentrate for a long time, the priest will help you choose the most suitable text and you should focus on it.
First prayer
Second prayer
Prayer three
What is prayer
Prayer is a person’s appeal to higher powers: to the Lord, the Mother of God, angels and saints. The basis of Christianity is not just the amount of knowledge, but the living experience of communication with God. It is impossible to imagine the spiritual life of a believer without prayer. It is included in the morning and evening rules, and when it becomes an internal need of the soul, it occurs constantly in the mind and heart. Prayer according to its content is conventionally divided into the following types:
- thanksgiving (we thank God);
- laudatory (we praise God);
- supplicants (we ask God);
- repentant (repent of sins);
- intercessory (we ask for someone).
Prayer presupposes the obligatory presence of faith in God as the driving force behind petitions. The quality of prayer can be:
- oral;
- smart;
- cardiac.
The oral form is typical at the initial stages of learning to pray, when when reading a person’s mind becomes distracted and is unable to concentrate on the words. Smart is pronounced with insight into the meaning of the words. The highest example is heartfelt, understood by the mind and felt by the heart.
Heartfelt prayer is characteristic of saints and people of high spiritual life
According to the form of expression, prayer is divided into public and private. The first are performed collectively, in the temple, the second - by a specific person at home. Recently, prayer by agreement has gained popularity as a type of public petition. Its essence lies in the agreement of several people to pray for a specific matter at a certain hour. For example, pregnant women agree on a time to read an akathist to the Mother of God about a successful delivery.
Prayer in church or at home is accompanied by the lighting of candles, lamps, incense, the sign of the cross, and bows to the ground or from the waist. In church, incense is required during services. All external attributes of sacred rites are not valuable in themselves and are not an end in themselves, but are produced for the correct internal prayerful attitude.
What power does she have?
The power of prayer directly depends on the faith of the person praying. The petitions of the righteous have a special effect. It cannot be said that the requests of sinful people remain unanswered. The Lord hears and sees everyone, but sometimes he is in no hurry to fulfill our desires. There may be several reasons for this:
- consumer attitude towards God, a person does not live according to God’s commandments, but turns to the Creator only in difficult life circumstances;
- a person does not show mercy and love to his neighbors;
- because the time has not yet come for the request to be fulfilled;
- sometimes a person wants to get everything at once and without difficulty;
- prayer can be fulfilled in an incredible way;
- The Lord wants to reward the patience of the one asking;
- a person asks for something that is not useful to him.
The Holy Fathers claim that even if a prayer is not fulfilled instantly, this does not mean that it remains fruitless. Because just being in communion with God brings a person untold benefits, joy and consolation. Even in the scientific community, where not everyone is a believer, research has been conducted and it has been proven that prayer has a beneficial effect on all human systems and organs.
The Lord says in the Gospel: “Truly I also say to you that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them “(Matthew 18:19,20).
Gospel
https://azbyka.ru/biblia/?Mt.18:20
These words of the Savior confirm the special power of collective prayer, when several people ask for one thing. In this regard, common divine services have been formed in Christianity since ancient times, and modern clergy calls on all believers to be sure to participate in temple prayers as often as possible. According to the commandment of the Lord, it is necessary to visit the temple on Sundays and holidays.
How to pray correctly
All conditions have been created for the correct prayerful attitude in Orthodox Christianity. Since ancient times, it has been customary to cry out to God and the saints while standing, but there are exceptions for pregnant women, the sick, and the infirm. Personal prayer is performed in front of the home iconostasis with lit candles, lamps, and incense. You cannot start a conversation with the Creator immediately after earthly bustle; you need some time to tune in, pacify your emotions and passions. If possible, petitions should be offered to God and the saints in a calm atmosphere, without distractions or scattered thoughts. In Orthodoxy, during outpourings of prayer, a person necessarily makes the sign of the cross and bows to the ground or from the waist.
When a person has formed a need for prayer, then memorized hymns and requests can be pronounced in any place: transport, queues, waiting, if the mind is free. You can address God and the saints both in texts compiled by saints and clergy, and in your own words. It should be remembered that the prayers of the saints are for us a kind of alphabet by which we learn prayer. For example, Saint Theophan the Recluse advises to first pray according to the prayer book, and if during reading the soul wishes to express its words, then do not prevent it from doing so. (see St. Theophan the Recluse. Four words about prayer.)
All external attributes of prayer: icons, candles, incense, body position, clothing, etc. - are needed only for the correct internal aspiration towards God
You should know that only the Lord has the power to fulfill our requests. Therefore, when we turn to the saints, we must ask Their holy prayers for the fulfillment of desires. The saints of God are next to Christ and the Lord will hear their prayers sooner. Only the Most Holy Theotokos has a special position and one can directly ask Her for help.
Comments from clergy
Believing women live with prayer every day because they realize its great benefits for the soul. And during such special periods in life as pregnancy and childbirth, expectant mothers try to participate more often in divine services, confess and receive communion. The power of prayer is determined by the strength of faith. The Lord is the only giver of life, and first of all, all petitions should be directed to Him. The Virgin Mary is the patroness of motherhood and is highly revered among future and current mothers. Not only the woman herself, but also her closest relatives and friends can pray to the Lord, the Mother of God, and the saints for the health of the woman in labor.
Hello! My name is Elena. I am 41 years old. I have a higher pedagogical education, specializing in philology. She worked in a newspaper editorial office as a project manager-coordinator, with a wide range of responsibilities. I am actively engaged in self-education in the field of medicine, psychology, and pedagogy. I love to write. I am married and have three children.
