Wednesday Devotion and Prayer. May 10, 2023
                                           “For Pregnant Mothers”

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5

Motherhood begins long before the physical birth of a baby. Before entering the world, he or she was fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together, and created by God. I determined to claim the title of mom when I found out I was pregnant. I was a mom of a baby in my womb. The Lord created that baby, the moment of conception leading to immediate life. Jeremiah 1:5 says before he formed Jeremiah in his mother’s womb, He set him apart as a prophet. God sees our unformed substance. (Psalm 139:16)

On my very first Mother’s Day, my family celebrated the baby and me so sweetly. It felt right. We acknowledged and celebrated his life and that God chose me to care for him, just as we did on Father’s Day for my husband. Today we are going to pray over pregnant mothers in this unique season of motherhood.

Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for Your gift of new life. Thank You that You are the Creator of all things and that every person is made in Your image. Thank You for pregnant mothers chosen to carry the next generation. Thank You for being their Rock in the newness and unknowns of first-time moms. Thank You for being the strength of those who already have children who are carrying more while trying to care for the others in front of them. Thank You for comforting those who have lost children before but are walking in faith during this pregnancy. Thank You for those who are afraid to be moms. Thank You for those who had unplanned pregnancies but are choosing to be Your vessels for life, whether they raise the baby or place the baby up for adoption. We praise you for life. Thank You for our mothers who carried us for nine months and cared for us to be here.

Please help all women and the different types of pregnancies out there. Bless these women with “manna” for the day. Give them grace in the hard things and the trials along the way. Provide them with emotional, physical, and spiritual support during this time. Reveal to them more of who You are and help them to look to You as their role model of loving well and nurturing faithfully. We pray that their fears will rest and they will trust You whenever they are afraid. Give them freedom from the bondage of anxiety at appointments. Place them under excellent care. Show them You are with them every step of the way. Where adversities linger, give them the eyes to see Your refining powers and incredible comfort. Bless them with hearts of celebration and smiles over a new life. Keep their sicknesses at a minimum, give them confidence in their body image, and help them be in tune with their specific babies’ needs in the womb.

Protect these beautiful new lives inside of them. We glorify You for bringing new people into the world. Help these newly created ones love You and learn of Your saving grace. We pray for a generation of believers. We pray for moms to begin praying over their children, singing worship over them, and telling them of Your great love now. May these mothers not wait to witness to their unborn children but begin evangelizing today. Bless them. To moms who have doubts about You, may this experience strengthen their faith to the utmost and give them a firmer foundation and understanding of You as God and their Savior. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

                       Thursday Devotion and Prayer. May 4, 2023
                                              “Embrace Beauty”

“He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11-12)

Many of my friends and family are currently longing for the warmer temperatures of Spring to make their appearance. Soon, the fresh leaves will fully cover what were barren branches and flowers will be in full bloom. None of us must worry if the seasons are going to change, because God is a master artist and has it all under control.

The seasons are set to a specific time God ordains, as are the events in our lives and the journey He unfolds along the way. He alone knows how to take a rebellious heart of stone and soften it to praise His Holy name. Life transformation is not an overnight event. Like the seasons, the change of life for the glory of Christ is a process. In God’s perfecting timing, we will begin to see new growth.

The Biblical Book of Ecclesiastes was written by one of the wisest men to live, King Solomon. In this book, Solomon discusses the ebb and flow of life: time, foolishness, suffering, and wisdom are poetically unwrapped throughout this Old Testament book. Chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes focuses on the concept of time in the heart of man, and that God is ultimately sovereign over it: “He hath made everything beautiful in its time” (11a). The verse goes on to say God “also he hath set the world in their heart so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.” (Ecclesiastes 11b)

Often, we become extremely discouraged by disappointment or failure, but God is continually working in our hearts and our lives. The process of conforming us to the image of His dear Son rests solely in His hands as we “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). With the help of the Holy Spirit, we learn to walk in obedience. He leads us into all truth as we study the Word and renew our minds to replace old ways of thinking with God’s perfect will.

Perhaps this process of renewing our minds and seeing transformation in behavior and attitude is slowed because our eyes become too fixated on the temporal cares of this life. Our hearts were made to look to the hope of eternity, but if we are not careful, we can be consumed with worry when things are not changing as quickly as we would like them to or when our circumstances in our life are challenging or uncomfortable. It can be tempting to grasp for control to avoid discomfort before asking the Lord for His help. We often fail to acknowledge He may be using difficulties to work well in our lives and turn it all into something beautiful. Do you feel like you are stuck in a “winter” season, longing to see blooms of new life?

Heavenly Father,
Someone is struggling with disappointment and discontentment about where they are in life right now. Help them to guard their heart against discouragement, ungratefulness, and complaining. Help them to look for the blessings you have already given them in their current circumstances. Teach them how to find ways to praise You when their expectations are not met and learn how to trust Your perfect timing even if they don’t fully understand it. I know I need to trust in Your sovereignty and lean upon Your ways over my own. Your grace is sufficient for me, and I thank You for always guiding me into truth and convicting my heart when I fall into the sins of grumbling and complaining, thinking that I know better than You. My lips praise Your great name. Thank You for Your love for me and for changing my heart to reflect Yours. I pray You would use the season You have me in to transform me and strengthen my faith in You. Give me eyes to see the beauty even in my winter season. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.