Prayer during pregnancy: for preservation, for a healthy child, in case of threat of miscarriage

What is prayer, its healing power

Prayer represents communication with the spiritual world: God, the Mother of God, and saints. For believers, a connection with the Lord is an integral part of Christian life. Orthodoxy is not a sum of knowledge and strict rules to be followed. God is love and union with Him occurs by the free will of man. The Creator loves us all endlessly and is always there. Only people stray far from the Lord through their sins. Prayer and building a life according to the commandments of Christ allows a person to find lost grace.

Prayer has several classifications. In appearance it could be:

• pleading;
• repentant;
• thanksgiving;
• laudatory;
• intercessory.

Prayer is the greatest, priceless gift of the Creator to creation, to man, who through it can talk with his Creator, like a child with the Father, pour out before Him feelings of wonder, praise and thanksgiving.

St. Righteous John of Kronstadt

https://azbyka.ru/m-molitva

In terms of quality, prayer has three stages of development:

1. Oral.
2. Smart.
3. Heart.

The first type is typical in the initial stages of church life. When a person reads sacred words, but does not understand the meaning, and thoughts are scattered on foreign objects. The second stage is characterized by the penetration of the mind into the text. The third involves the highest form of prayer, in which the mind and heart are involved. Each person’s development of prayer has an individual shape, depending on his diligence. Sometimes at the first stage one can experience moments of mental and heart enlightenment. In addition to prayer, a Christian is obliged to read the Gospel, the Psalter, and the Holy Fathers daily. Studying the Holy Scriptures will allow you to succeed in salvation and draw closer to God.

Prayer has a healing effect on all levels of a person: spirit, soul and body

At the spiritual level, communication with God contributes to the transformation of the soul, enlightens the mind, and ennobles the feelings. After real prayer, a Christian does not feel tired, but, on the contrary, feels cheerfulness of spirit, a desire to act, to do good deeds. Scientists have proven that prayer has a beneficial effect on all human systems and organs.

How to pronounce

On the one hand, prayer is a gift from the Lord, but before receiving it, a person needs to show diligence and a desire to learn how to talk with God. At the beginning of a Christian life, a person needs to force himself to pray. As a result of certain personal work, the Lord gives consolation and joy.

In order to learn prayer, you need to perform certain actions:

• study the works of the holy fathers who succeeded in prayer;
• attend temple services;
• pray on your own regularly.

To get into the right mood for prayer, you need to prepare internally and externally. You need to start communicating with God in a calm state; there should be no unforgiven offenses in your soul. We should ask humbly, clearly realizing who we are standing before. The Lord does not always immediately fulfill requests. He gives us only what is useful. Even if prayer is not realized in the near future, it in itself is a benefit for a person.

External preparation for communication with the Lord includes:

• icons;
• candles;
• lamps;
• incense (incense, incense, nuns);
• beads.

Since ancient times, it has been customary to offer petitions to the Lord, the Mother of God, and the saints while standing. There are exceptions for the elderly, pregnant women, children, the sick, and the infirm. The Holy Fathers advise in prayer:

• do not imagine those to whom you are addressing;
• do not seek states of grace;
• do not believe visions and revelations.

The choice of text is very important. A Christian needs to read Orthodox prayers from prayer books that are sold in church shops at churches or monasteries. All of them were compiled by people of holy life and contain hard-won experience. The traditional Orthodox prayer book is the alphabet by which we learn to communicate with God. Saint Theophan the Recluse teaches us to read the texts of the saints, and if the soul desires to express its words, then do not interfere with it.

Learning to pray in your own words takes skill. This is difficult to do at the beginning of the Christian journey. If the soul asks, and it turns out to compose its own texts, then the church does not prohibit it.

Prayer in church or at home is usually accompanied by the sign of the cross, bows, and reverent touching of icons

Prayers for the preservation of pregnancy and the birth of a healthy child

Children are a gift from God and a great responsibility. Three people are always involved in the conception of a child: the Lord, a man and a woman. By the will of God, a new person comes into the world, but a lot also depends on the married couple. The lifestyle of parents affects their children. Each new generation is born weaker and weaker. It is already difficult to find absolutely healthy children. All this is not only the result of the environmental situation, but also the spiritual tragedy of humanity.

Since ancient times, a woman carrying a child was protected from all evil. Modern gynecologists recommend that young couples prepare for conception at least a year in advance. Preparation includes a full medical examination, a healthy lifestyle, and emotional stability. Unfortunately, doctors do not mention the spiritual side (except for Orthodox doctors). The priests believe that the pious life of the spouses is most directly reflected in the offspring. And the holy fathers spoke about this. The Monk Paisius the Svyatogorets speaks in Volume IV of the Book of the Word. Family life.

Raising a child begins with pregnancy. If the pregnant mother is worried and upset, then the fetus in her womb is also worried. And if the mother prays and lives spiritually, then the baby in her womb is sanctified. Therefore, a woman, being pregnant, should say the Jesus Prayer, read something from the Gospel, sing church hymns, and not be disturbed in her soul. But loved ones should also be careful not to upset her. In this case, the born child will be a sanctified child and parents will not have to experience difficulties with him - neither while he is small, nor when he grows up.

Venerable Paisius the Svyatogorets

https://azbyka.ru/otechnik/Paisij_Svjatogorets/semejnaja-zhizn-slova-tom4/3_1

A pregnant woman performs a huge divine mission. It is no coincidence that in Orthodox usage she is called non-idle, that is, busy with important work. Since the main participant in the birth of a new soul is the Lord, it is completely logical at the stage of gestation for a woman and her husband to live in harmony with God. When Christ becomes the head of the family, then everything else falls into place. Spiritual life includes:

• regular personal prayer;
• participation in church services and sacraments;
• reading the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers, the lives of the saints of God;
• performing acts of mercy.

It is very important for spouses to pray to the Lord for the continuation of pregnancy and a successful birth. In addition to asking God, a woman needs to take care of her health, eat right, avoid stress, and follow all doctors’ recommendations. Personal prayer can be supplemented with custom services - prayer services, akathists, magpies, the everlasting psalter, etc. Now is such a blessed time when it is possible to submit requests via the Internet to any holy place in the world. You can take part in prayers by agreement. If the expectant mother feels well, then pilgrimage trips will be an excellent way to be filled with grace. Moreover, it is not necessary to go somewhere far; as a rule, blessed places have been established in every diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Seraphim-Diveevo Monastery is the fourth inheritance of the Mother of God, where great shrines are located: the belt of the Mother of God, the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov, miraculous icons and other relics - all this will have the most positive impact on the soul and body of a pregnant woman

The Holy Fathers recommend thanking God more often for all mercies, as well as for sorrows, since sad events are sometimes more useful for the soul than joyful moments. Regardless of how the pregnancy, childbirth proceeds, or what kind of child is born, we must certainly thank the Lord for everything. Of course, this is possible with deep faith and trust in the Creator.

Lord

In a Christian's daily rule, most of the prayers are dedicated to God. He is the source of life and the giver of all earthly and heavenly blessings. The Lord is supposed to offer heartfelt petitions in any difficulties in life. You can choose a prayer yourself, or better yet, on the advice of a priest, who will make recommendations in accordance with the spiritual development of the family, social environment and living conditions. For example, use this text.

Lord Jesus Christ our God, from the eternal Father the Son was born, before the world, and in the last days, by the good will and assistance of the Holy Spirit, deigning to be born of the Most Holy Virgin as ml The Lord himself, who in the beginning created man and conjugated his wife, was laid in a manger and laid in a manger Having given him the commandment: grow and multiply and fill the earth, have mercy on me, according to the greatness of Your mercy, Your servant (name), who is preparing to give birth according to Your commandment. Forgive me my voluntary and involuntary sins, by Your grace grant me the strength to safely be relieved of my burden, keep me and the baby in health and well-being, protect me and save me Your angels - from the hostile action of evil spirits, and from every evil thing. Amen.

ABC of faith

https://azbyka.ru/molitvoslov/molitvy-vo-vremya-beremennosti.html

There are a great many prayers of Orthodox content. The main thing is to realize that it is not specific words that work, but the depth of faith. It is not forbidden to pronounce your own texts if they come from the heart. You can even just humbly stand in front of the icon of the Savior - this will also be a prayer. If a pregnant woman feels unwell and does not have the strength to read long prayers, you can turn to God with short petitions:

• Lord have mercy;
• God help me;
• Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The Lord sees and hears not only our words, but also thoughts, intentions, desires.
There was a period in my life when, having gone into the temple to light candles, I could not utter a word in front of the image (although on the way there was a desire in my head to ask for many things). She simply froze in some kind of reverent fear of the icons, and tears flowed in streams. And when you go outside, an amazing silence, calm, peace settled in your soul, and the problems no longer seemed so terrible. The Holy Fathers say that this is the action of God's grace. It influences every person in a mysterious way, but is always aimed at benefiting the soul.

Blessed Virgin Mary

After the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos is the main intercessor of motherhood and childhood. Women turn to Her with a variety of problems, including during pregnancy and childbirth. Currently there are about 700 icons of the Mother of God. The tradition of the church contains millions of stories of Her miraculous help to people in different parts of the world.

For each image of the Mother of God, troparia, kontakia, akathists, canons, and prayers were compiled. You can choose a suitable icon and text according to your taste or on the advice of a priest. During pregnancy, the Orthodox clergy recommends turning to the following faces of the Mother of God:

• "Healer";
• "Quick to Hear";
• "Assistant in childbirth";
• "Feodorovskaya";
• "Kazanskaya";
• "Protection of the Virgin Mary";
• "Blissful Womb";
• "Mammal" and others.

Many women throughout their pregnancy read a prayer to the icon of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth” and go to childbirth with this image.
One of the ancient prayers to the Mother of God is “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice.”

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with You, Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

ABC of faith

https://azbyka.ru/molitvoslov/molitvy-ko-presvyatoj-bogorodice.html

It is part of the morning rule and is very often sung at services. The Holy Fathers recommend learning the text by heart and reading it many times daily in any life and family difficulties.

You can use another short popular prayer, which is read in any difficulty, including during pregnancy and the desire to give birth to a healthy child.

My Most Blessed Queen, My Hope, Mother of God, Friend of the Orphan and Strange to the Representative, the Sorrowful to Joy, the Offended to the Patroness! See my misfortune, see my sorrow; Help me, for I am weak; feed me, for I am strange! Resolve my grievance, as if I were wrong: for I have no other help than You, no other Representative, no good Comforter, except You, O Mother of God! May you protect me and protect me forever and ever. Amen.

ABC of faith

https://azbyka.ru/molitvoslov/molitvy-ko-presvyatoj-bogorodice.html

The Mother of God is alone and it does not matter which icon to pray to during pregnancy. The main thing is to believe that help and consolation will definitely come.

Matrona of Moscow

Blessed Matrona of Moscow is a Russian saint of the 20th century. She was born blind, and at the age of 18 she lost the ability to walk. From early childhood, the Lord gave the saint the ability to predict events and heal the sick. For her righteous life and great love for God and people, she was canonized. The help of Blessed Matrona extends not only to Orthodox Christians, but also to representatives of other faiths. People turn to the saint in a variety of everyday matters, health problems, in the family, at work, including when they want to safely carry and give birth to a baby.

Since Blessed Matrona was a healer, women with complicated pregnancies especially turn to her

To other Saints

Every believing family has its own favorite saints with whom an invisible spiritual connection has been established. During such important periods of life as pregnancy and childbirth, spouses pray to them together. When there is no such tradition, you can seek advice from a priest. To establish a relationship with a saint, you must study his life, try to imitate his exploits whenever possible, read his works, make a pilgrimage to his relics, etc. The most beloved and popular saints, to whom women turn when they want to become pregnant, bear and give birth to a child :

• Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker;
• Venerable Seraphim of Sarov;
• Venerable Sergius of Radonezh;
• Blessed Xenia of Petersburg;
• Reverend Alexander Svirsky;
• Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon;
• Saint Luke of Crimea and others.

All these saints are from different centuries, but they are united by great love and compassion for humanity. The monasteries or temples where their relics are buried are full of wonderful stories of helping people in a variety of situations.

Prayers before the icon of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth”

Prayer 1

Accept, Lady Theotokos, the tearful prayers of Your servants who flow to You. We see Thee in the holy icon, bearing Thy Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in the womb. Even if you gave birth to Him painlessly, even though the mother weighed the sorrow and infirmity of the sons and daughters of human beings.

With the same warmth falling upon Thy whole-bearing image and tenderly kissing this, we pray to Thee, All-Merciful Lady: we, sinners, condemned to give birth to illnesses and nourish our children in sorrows, mercifully have mercy and compassionately intercede.

Deliver our babies, as well as those who gave birth to them, from serious illness and bitter sorrow; Grant them health and well-being, and their nourishment will increase in strength, and those who feed them will be filled with joy and consolation, for even now, through Your intercession from the mouth of a baby and those who piss, the Lord will bring His praise.

O Mother of the Son of God! Have mercy on the mother of the sons of men and on Your weak people: quickly heal the illnesses that befall us, quench the sorrows and sorrows that are upon us, and do not despise the tears and sighs of Your servants.

Hear us on the day of sorrow, falling before Your icon, and on the day of joy and deliverance, receive the grateful praise of our hearts. Offer our prayers to the Throne of Your Son and our God, that He may be merciful to our sin and weakness and add His mercy to those who lead His name, so that we and our children may glorify You, the Merciful Intercessor and the faithful Hope of our race, forever and ever. . Amen.

Translation: Accept, Lady Mother of God, the tearful prayers of Your servants who come running to You. We see You on the holy icon in your womb, bearing Your Son and our God, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Although she gave birth to Him painlessly, you nevertheless know the sorrows of a mother and see the illnesses of human sons and daughters. Therefore, falling warmly to Your healing image and tenderly kissing it, we pray to You, All-Merciful Lady: to us, sinners, condemned to give birth to illnesses and to feed our children in sorrows, mercifully spare and compassionately intercede.

Deliver our babies, as well as us who gave birth to them, from serious illness and bitter sorrow; Grant them health and strength, so that those nourished by strength will grow in strength, and those who feed them will be filled with joy and consolation, since even now, through Your intercession from the mouths of babies and nursing children, the Lord has given Himself praise (Ps. 8:3).

O Mother of the Son of God! Have mercy on the mothers of human children and on Your sick people: heal the illnesses that overtake us as quickly as possible, calm the sorrows and sorrows that come to us and do not neglect the tears and sighs of Your servants.

Hear us on the day of sorrow, falling before Your icon, and on the day of joy and deliverance, accept the grateful praise of our hearts. Offer our prayers to the Throne of Your Son and our God, that He may be merciful to our sins and weaknesses and extend His mercy to those who know His name, so that we and our children may glorify You, the Merciful Intercessor and the faithful Hope of our race, forever and ever. . Amen.

Prayer 2

Oh, Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos, who never leaves us in earthly life! To whom will I offer prayers, to whom will I bring tears and sighs, if not to You, consolation to all the faithful!

With fear, faith, love, Mother of the Belly, I pray: may the Lord enlighten Orthodox people to salvation, may He give us children to You and Your Son to please You, may He keep us in the purity of humility, in the hope of salvation in Christ, and grant us all, in the cover of Your grace, earthly consolation.

Keep us under the canopy of Thy mercy, Most Pure One, help those who pray for childbirth, turn away the slander of evil freedom, grave troubles, misfortunes and deaths. Grant us grace-filled insight, a spirit of contrition for sins, grant us to see all the height and purity of Christ’s teaching given to us; protect us from disastrous alienation, so that we all, gratefully praising Your greatness, may be worthy of Heavenly tranquility and there with Your beloved, with all the saints, we will glorify the One God in the Trinity: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Translation: Oh, Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos, who does not leave us in earthly life! To whom will I offer my prayers, to whom will I bring my tears and sighs, if not to You, consolation to all the faithful!

With fear, faith, love, Mother of Life, I pray: may the Lord enlighten Orthodox people for salvation, may He allow us to give birth to children for You and Your Son to please You, may He keep us in the purity of humility, in the hope of salvation in Christ, and give us all, to those who are in the cover of Thy grace, earthly consolation.

Keep us under the cover of Your mercy, Most Pure One, help those praying for childbirth, free us from evil attempts, turn away grave troubles, misfortunes and deaths. Give us grace-filled insight, a spirit of sorrow for sins, let us know the full height and purity of Christ’s teaching given to us;

protect us from disastrous alienation, so that we may all, gratefully singing Your greatness, be worthy of Heavenly tranquility and there with Your beloved, with all the saints, we will glorify the One God in the Trinity: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayers that relatives of a pregnant woman can read

In believing families, praying for each other is commonplace. When a pregnant woman feels well, she can take a blessing from a priest and read akathists or canons. If pregnancy occurs with complications, the woman’s relatives can provide all possible assistance: husband, mother, father, sister, etc. Even when everything is fine, joint prayer will benefit everyone.

It is better to coordinate the reading of sacred texts by the relatives of the expectant mother with the priest, since spiritual life is a serious matter, and it is very dangerous to burden the soul with obligations without proper preparation. Since ancient times, mother's prayer has been considered especially effective. There is even a saying: “A mother’s prayer will reach you from the bottom of the sea.” This expression is not a proverb, but a truth that has been realized both in the lives of many saints and in numerous modern stories of ordinary people.

The spiritual connection between parents and children never ends, so a mother’s heartfelt prayer for her daughter has special power

Appeal to the “Quick to Hear” in the maternity hospital

Women in the maternity hospital are unlikely to have the strength and patience to read prayers, but mothers at this moment can become their saviors. After all, there are prayers that can be addressed to the Saints during the active period of labor that has begun.

The best article for you, go to: Prayers of St. Catherine the Great Martyr

These requests will help the woman endure the birth process more easily, it will go faster and will not be so painful. Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Quick to Hear” will help during childbirth.

“Most blessed Lady, Ever-Virgin Mother of God, who gave birth to God the Word more than any word for our salvation, and who received His grace more abundantly than all others, who appeared as a sea of ​​Divine gifts and miracles, an ever-flowing river, pouring out goodness to all who come running to You with faith!

To Your miraculous image, we pray to You, the all-generous Mother of the Humanity-loving Lord: surprise us with Your rich mercies, and speed up the fulfillment of our petitions brought to You, Quick to Hear, all that are arranged for the benefit of consolation and salvation for everyone.

Visit, O Blessing Thy servants, with Thy grace, grant to those who are ill, healing and perfect health, to those overwhelmed by silence, to those in captivity, freedom and various images of the afflicted to console, deliver, O all-merciful Lady, every city and country from famine, plague, cowardice, flood, fire, sword and other temporary and eternal punishments, by Your maternal boldness turning away the wrath of God: and from mental relaxation, overwhelming passions and falls, free Your servants, so that without stumbling in all piety, having lived in this world, and in the future, eternal blessings, we will be honored with the grace and love of mankind of Your Son and God, Him. befits all glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen."

Now, you, our dear readers, know what prayers will be useful during such a wonderful, amazing period in life as pregnancy. But most importantly, do not forget that you can ask the Saints for anything, and they will never refuse help, but it should be done sincerely, from a pure heart, with an open soul.

May God bless you!

Recommendations from clergy

God must always be remembered, and not only in moments of problematic pregnancy and personal fears. Of course, out of their great love, the Lord, the Mother of God, and the saints help different people. The main thing is to be able to thank the Creator after receiving gracious support and not forget the way to the temple, but to cleave to God with the whole family until the end of days.

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.