Millions of children and thousands of mothers die each year, mainly from complications with pregnancy or childbirth. And 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in the developing world. By 2030, the global community hopes to end preventable maternal and child deaths, but that cannot be accomplished without hard work, persistence, advocacy, and a lot of prayer. Join us in praying for maternal and child health.
Pray for moms.
Each year, over 300,000 women die due to preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. It doesn’t have to be this way. We know education about the healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies can save lives, and we have cost-effective interventions to end these deaths. Pray that these mothers get the care they need and that God’s hand would be on them.
God, please be with all mothers to be and moms, including new moms. Bringing a child into the world is nothing less than a miracle, and we are grateful for this gift of life. But far too many mothers die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth that we can prevent. Please protect these women from complications as they bring life into the world and nurture their new babies, especially those who give birth in developing countries, fragile states, and difficult contexts.
Pray for babies.
Daily 15,000 children under the age of 5 die, in many cases due to preventable causes. Though this number has been cut in half since 1990, it is still far too many lives lost. When an infant’s mother dies, it is 10 times more likely to die within the two years following her death. For vulnerable children everywhere, pray that their lives may be long and healthy and that they receive the care they need in their first 1,000 days so they not only survive but thrive.
Lord, thank you for bringing new life into this world every day. We know that the gift of life is something only you can provide. Please be with babies in their first 1,000 days – a vital time of growth. We especially want to pray for babies that are born in difficult situations whether it is poverty, fragile contexts, or any other significant challenge, God. You know the needs and challenges that these infants face. Protect these children and provide them with the nutrients, care, and love that they need to reach their full potential.
Pray for doctors and caretakers.
Doctors, midwives, community health volunteers, and caretakers around the world are helping new mothers bring babies into the world at all hours. Some of these men and women do so with minimal facilities, tools, or, in cases where a trained professional is unavailable, even training. Pray that they are provided with the resources and education needed to have the biggest impact possible on families’ lives.
Thank you for men and women who are willing to care for mothers and their babies, God. Please give them wisdom and courage in their work. Provide them with the resources needed to deliver babies into this world safely, and help them to foresee and prevent any complications that could allow for unnecessary deaths or illness. Encourage them in the life-giving work they do so they can persevere when circumstances are difficult.
Pray for healthy families.
To bring thriving babies into the world, it is important for a family to be healthy too. In many cases, good well-being may look like knowing how to care for their children, providing good food, living in a home that is safe from the elements and violence. But it can also come with the knowledge of healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies or from being free from poverty. Healthy families are much more likely to have healthy children and minimize barriers that could keep a child from living life to its fullest. Pray for the wellness of families globally and for extra protection for children who are born into unhealthy families.
God, thank you for all the healthy families that are in the world. But as we thank you for this, we are also mindful of children who are born into families that are broken and need healing. Today, we want to ask you to reconcile families around the world and to protect children who are born into unhealthy circumstances. We know that you are a good God with the power to make miracles happen and that you are a God of relationships, so please provide strong and healthy families for children around the world.
Pray for the Reach Every Mother and Child Act.
The Reach Every Mother and Child Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that is aimed at finding the most efficient and cost-effective ways to improve maternal and child health. Pray that this legislation would pass and do what it is intended to: save moms and kids from preventable deaths. Also, pray for the effective use of U.S. foreign assistance in supporting these programs and that other bills like this would continue to be supported and enacted in Congress.
Thank you for leaders who care about the health of moms and kids globally, Lord. And thank you for a government that has the capacity and ability to make a difference. Provide our legislators with the drive to turn this bill into law and the knowledge of how to best use U.S. foreign assistance to support these programs. Inspire our leaders to continue to leave a legacy of bipartisan care for all of God’s children. Amen.
Photo: Beauty, 17 months, sister of sponsored boy, Chansa, and daughter of Mildred Chidinka, 22, in Sinazongwe ADP, Zambia. Beauty and her brother are able to get the nutrients they need to thrive thanks to support from World Vision. They will not have to know the hunger that their mother and her siblings grew up feeling. © 2017 World Vision/photo by Jon Warren
Hi World Vision, I would like to pray, and have prayed for moms, babies, doctors and caretakers, health families, and the Reach Every Mother and Child Act. I am currently teaching sociology courses online in which we discuss human sex trafficking, the needs of vulnerable populations, and child marriages in Yemen and other places. I have discussed the issues of the Feminization of poverty across the globe which is the phenomenon that women represent disproportionate percentages of the world’s poor. UNIFEM describes it as “the burden of poverty borne by women, especially in developing countries”.
We appreciate you joining us and the important work that you do. Thank you for helping to create an environment where these issues are discussed openly, and for helping to increase awareness of this issue.