Prayers and blessings

For our pregnancy:

O Lord and Giver of life, receive our prayer for all women who are pregnant and for the children they carry, that they may safely and happily come to the time of birth, and serving you in all things, may rejoice in your loving providence. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Father, we praise you for the work of your hands. For human life, made in your image, for the gift of your Son who saved our nature, for the power of your Spirit, who fills our hearts, for all you bestow upon us, we praise you, we thank you, we bless you. Help us to protect the life you gave us: support the aged, guide the young, lift up the failing, and heal the sick. To all people grant your truth in its fullness. May those who are yet unborn soon see the light of day and live to give you glory, through Christ our Lord.

For your Birth and as you grow:

When the first light of sun-
Bless you.
When the long day is done-
Bless you.
In your smiles and your tears-
Bless you.
Through each day of your years-
Bless you. (An Irish Blessing)

“World of Your Dreams” .

May you be blessed with understanding,
With wisdom and compassion in your heart.
May your tongue be filled with song.
And your lips sing out for justice.
These are the prayers we have for you. (Andy’s Bar Mitzvah Song) 1992 Deborah Lynn Friedman, Sounds Write Productions, Inc. (ASCAP)

As you make decisions and grow in your own identity:

May God spread his wings over you and protect you.
May you know great joy, happiness, and fulfillment in your life.
May you walk with humility, and may you understand that being God’s child is a source of joy and meaning, and an important responsibility.
May you honor your parents, recognizing that they have brought you into the world in love and in hope, and may you bring them great joy.
May you go from strength to strength, yet always be able to accept your own weaknesses and those of others.
May you judge yourself and others with fairness and compassion, and without harshness.

May you have the confidence and self-esteem to move towards whatever goals you choose for yourself, and may you have the wisdom and courage to change your mind if your original goals are replaced by newer and better ones.

May you allow yourself to dream your dreams and soar with flights of fancy and imagination.

May you always keep a precious part of yourself as "child" even as you move to adulthood.

May your ears be filled with music of every imaginable kind, and may the rhythms be of your own making, allowing yourself to march at your own pace.

May you experience the inevitable moments of sadness and pain in a way that will give these moments meaning and add value to your life.

May you live in a world blessed with peace and harmony, and may your future be as bright and as hopeful as the world's first rainbow.

And let us all say: Amen. (A Blessing on the Occasion of a Brit Bat By Leila Berner--adaptation)

I (Jenn) have made changes to this Jewish prayer--note words in bold and italicized

For all children:

Father, we bring our children to you for your blessing. Help us to be sensitive to their needs. Give us wisdom in our care of them that they may grow up rooted in love, steadfast in faith, strong and courageous in life. Guide us and all who have the care of children. May we never hinder but help and encourage them towards independence and maturity, and to a living faith in your Son, Jesus Christ,our Lord. Amen.

-Frank Colquhoun New Parish Prayers

Book of Occasional Services, The Church Pension Fund, 1979, the Church Hymnal Corporation.
New Parish Prayers and Contemporary Parish Prayers by Frank Colquhoun, Hodder and Stoughton, 1999.
The Doubleday Prayer Collection, ed. Mary Batchelor, Doubleday, 1997.

- Book of Occasional Services

Do you have prayers for our baby that you would like to share?