A Prayer to be Said by a Woman with Child

Lord God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, who hast made us all out of nothing, and redeem’d us by the precious blood of thy only Son; look down upon thy poor handmaid here prostrate before thee, humbly imploring thy mercy, and begging thy blessing for herself and her child, which thou hast given her to conceive. Preserve, I beseech thee, the work of thy hands, and defend both me and the tender fruit of my womb from all perils and all evils: grant me in due time a happy delivery, and bring my child safe to the font of baptism, that it may be there happily dedicated to thee, to love and serve thee faithfully for ever. But, O my God, I have too much reason to fear, lest my great and manifold sins should hinder thee from hearing my prayers, and draw down thy judgments upon me and mine, instead of the mercies which I sue for: and therefore I am sensible the first thing I ought to do is, to repent from the bottom of my heart for all my offences, humbly confess them, and continually cry to thee for mercy. I detest then all my sins with my whole heart, and desire to lay them here all down at thy feet, to be effaced and destroyed for ever. I renounce and abhor them with my whole soul, because they are infinitely odious to thee; and I wish that I could expiate them with tears of blood: I humbly beg thy - pardon for them all, and I wish with all my heart that I had never committed them: I here offer myself to make what satisfaction I am able for them: and I most willingly accept of whatever I may have to go thro’ in child-bearing, and offer it up now beforehand to thee for my sins; firmly resolving by thy grace never wilfully to offend thee more.

See here my poor heart, O Lord, and if it be not such as I here express, at least I desire it should be such: I desire it should be that contrite and humble heart which thou never despisest. In this disposition of soul, and with a lively confidence in thy mercies, and in the merits of the death and Passion of Jesus Christ thy Son, I renew the petition I made before, and I once more beg of thee, for myself, thy grace and protection, and a happy delivery; and for my child, that thou wouldst be pleased to preserve it for baptism, sanctify it for thyself, and make it thine for ever: thro’ the same Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.