"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:13-14). "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee" (Jeremiah 1:5). "Children are an heritage of the LORD" (Psalm 127:3). And God "shall gently lead those that are with young" (Isaiah 40:11).
Pregnancy is full of wonder, and often full of questions, aches, and worries too. Scripture speaks tenderly to both. It says God forms each child in the womb and knows them before birth, it celebrates the joy of expecting, and it promises that the Good Shepherd gently leads mothers who are carrying their little ones. These twelve King James verses are for moms-to-be, dads, grandparents, and friends praying for a pregnancy. For welcoming a newborn, see Bible verses about birth and babies.
Knit together in the womb
1. Psalms 139:13-14
"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. David praises God for forming him before birth. Every ultrasound image is a glimpse of this verse: God's careful, personal work. See more on being fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. Psalms 139:16
"Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them."
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect. Before any feature was formed, God saw your baby and wrote every day in His book. Your little one is fully known.
3. Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee. God knew Jeremiah and set him apart before birth. It is a beautiful verse to pray over a growing baby: God already knows and has purposes for this child.
4. Isaiah 44:24
"Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;"
Thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb. The same LORD who stretched out the heavens forms each child in the womb.
The joy of expecting
5. Psalms 127:3
"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. A pregnancy is a gift entrusted by God, worth celebrating whether it was planned, prayed for, or a surprise.
6. Luke 1:44
"For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy."
When pregnant Mary greeted her pregnant cousin Elisabeth, the babe leaped in Elisabeth's womb for joy. Even unborn John responded to the presence of Jesus. Scripture honors the life of the unborn.
7. 1 Samuel 1:27
"For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:"
For this child I prayed. Hannah wept for years before Samuel was born. Her words speak for every parent who waited and prayed, and gently for those still waiting.
8. 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."
Jesus used labor to describe sorrow turned into joy: a woman in travail has sorrow, but when the child is born she remembers no more the anguish, for joy.
Peace for the months ahead
9. Isaiah 40:11
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young."
He shall gently lead those that are with young. Shepherds slowed the whole flock for pregnant and nursing ewes. God is not impatient with your tiredness; He leads you gently.
10. Psalms 56:3
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. Worries about tests and delivery are normal. This short verse can be prayed on the way to every checkup.
11. Psalms 4:8
"I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety."
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep. Sleep can be hard in pregnancy, physically and emotionally. Pray this verse at bedtime and entrust your baby to the One who never sleeps.
12. Psalms 34:18
"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart. Not every pregnancy goes as hoped. If yours is hard or has ended in loss, God is near, and He grieves with you.
A short prayer
Father, thank You for the life You are forming. Watch over this mother and this baby. Give strength for each day, peace for each appointment, and rest for each night. Gently lead us, and let this child grow to know and love You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
New to this method? See our Bible study guide or pick a Bible reading plan.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Bible say about pregnancy?
Scripture says God forms each child in the womb (Psalm 139:13-16; Isaiah 44:24), knows them before birth (Jeremiah 1:5), and calls children "an heritage of the LORD" (Psalm 127:3). He also promises to gently lead expecting mothers (Isaiah 40:11).
What is a good Bible verse to pray over a pregnancy?
Psalm 139:13-14 and Jeremiah 1:5 are beautiful to pray over a growing baby. For an anxious mom, Psalm 56:3 ("What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee") and Isaiah 40:11 are comforting.
What Bible verse helps after a miscarriage?
Psalm 34:18 says "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart." Psalm 139:16 reminds grieving parents that God saw and knew their baby. Please see the gentle note below, and our lost loved ones page.
If you have walked through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss, we are so sorry. Your baby was known and loved by God (Psalm 139:16), and the LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart (Psalm 34:18). Our pages on lost loved ones and grief may help; please lean on your church and the people who love you. This page is spiritual encouragement, not medical advice: contact your doctor or midwife about any pregnancy concern, and call 911 in an emergency.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about birth · Bible verses about babies · Bible verses about being fearfully and wonderfully made · Bible verses about mothers · Bible verses about parenting · Bible verses about praying for others
Explore more: All Bible verses by topic · KJV Bible verses · Verse of the day · Prayers · Bible study · Bible reading plans
