(picture is of newborn baby Seth, during our hospital stay in February 2009)

I was confiding in my dear friend Mary the other day, telling her how I was not looking forward to labor and delivery.  My words reminded of something she had read recently and today she passed along the most beautiful prayer;  “For Women Near the Time of Travail”, from Matthew Henry’s book Method for Prayer.  (available online here.)  It is the most helpful and encouraging thing I have ever read at such a time as this.

I’m 37 weeks pregnant, the earliest I’ve had a baby was at 38 weeks, I am slow and tired, and as I type these words the baby inside me is moving with those third-term recognizable motions and kicks *in the strangest places*.  My mind is constantly on BABY, my body is preparing for delivery day, and with these sweet words from Matthew Henry, my soul is soaking in the spiritual wonder and joy of giving birth yet again, to a precious tiny newborn.

This is what godly encouragement is all about:  pointing each other, in our unique circumstances, to God, prayer, and Scripture.  There is purpose and meaning in everything a Christian goes through.  Sometimes it is hard to focus and apply ourselves to dig out those golden truths from the Bible, and that’s why I am so thankful for Mary today, in sharing this.  I might have missed out on a spiritual blessing, and I don’t want to miss out.  I plan on copying this and carrying it around!

The large type is the actual prayer, the italics are the verses that reenforce each phrase.  I hope it’s not too confusing to read.  If you would like to see the prayer in it’s original format, click here.

Lord, thou hast passed this sentence upon the woman that was first in the transgression,
1 Timothy 2:14:  “And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression”

that in sorrow she shall bring forth children. 
Genesis 3:16:  “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

But let this handmaid of thine be saved in childbearing, and continue in faith and charity and holiness, with sobriety.
  1 Timothy 2:15:  “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”

Enable her to cast her burden upon the Lord, and let the Lord sustain her;
Psalm 55:22:  “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

and what time she is afraid, grant that she may trust in thee 
Psalm 56:3:  ” What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

and may encourage herself in the Lord her God.
1 Samuel 30:6:  “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.”

O let not the root be dried up from beneath, nor let the branch be withered or cut off;
Job 18:16:  “His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off. “

but let both live before thee.

Be thou her strong habitation, her rock, and her fortress, give commandment to save her.
Psalm 71:3:  “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.”

And when travail comes upon her, which she cannot escape, be pleased, O Lord, to deliver her;
1 Thessalonians 5:3:  “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”  

O Lord, make haste to help her;
Psalm 40:13:  “Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me.”

be thou thyself her help and deliverer, make no tarrying, O our God. 
Psalm 40:17:  “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

Let her be safely delivered and remember the anguish no more, for joy that a child is born into the world, is born unto thee.
John 16:21:  “A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world”