Expecting Your Little Miracle: A weekly pregnancy devotional for parents to be!

By Candace Michel

One of the greatest feelings of excitement and joy you can have in life is when you are expecting a baby, and the anticipation of waiting for the day when you will finally hold your precious baby in your arms. This weekly devotional will guide you and your partner through the progress your little one is making from week to week, and more importantly, focus on what the Word of God teaches us about the development of your baby, your spiritual walk as individuals and partners in Christ, and how we are to train up our children in the ways of the Lord. You are about to begin one of life's most beautiful chapters, as parents, and what better way to prepare for this wonderful new role than praying together, seeking the Word of God and leaning on Him for encouragement, and the faith that we as believers can count on, that He has the best in store for you, and for your baby. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations. (Jer. 1:5)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642585261

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Expecting Your Little Miracle

A weekly pregnancy devotional for parents to be!

Candace Michel

ISBN 978-1-64258-525-4 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64258-526-1 (Digital)

Copyright © 2018 by Candace Michel

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

For Judah,

My little miracle,

and the desire of my heart.

Preface

When my husband and I planned to have a baby, the first thing that came to my mind was to pray about it. We both knew it would be a major life change, and we didn’t take the responsibility lightly. It would make us parents. We would not just be the two of us any longer but three, and we would forever be responsible for this new little life that we would bring into the world. What struck me most, especially when I finally did become pregnant, was that God had blessed us with life. It is God who is the giver of life and as it says in John 14:6, Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. And in John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. It is God who gives us life, both in the physical and spiritual, and life eternal for those who believe in Him. This life I carried inside of me was to come into this world, and we were responsible to raise him in the ways of the Lord, to train him up as the Bible instructs us to do. What a huge responsibility! We know that if we are believers who are saved, and followers of Christ, we are God’s children, and this child was His as well. We were now given the task of caring for this new little child of God and it became very real to us that we needed help. We needed the help from God to instruct us through this journey.

So I prayed. I was reminded of Hannah from the Bible. In 1 Samuel 1:26–28 it says, And she said Oh, my Lord! As your soul lives my Lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord. The Lord did listen to Hannah and she had her son Samuel. It was that story that reminded me, that He also gave me what I asked of Him, and of what my heart truly desired.

As the weeks went by in that first phase of pregnancy, I desired to know what the Bible said about conception, and about starting a family, and how great of a responsibility it is to raise a child, and the instruction we are given to do so as parents.

I read books and countless articles to prepare myself, but the one thing I felt I needed most was to see what the Bible tells us. Becoming parents for the first time is such an exciting and wonderful experience, and I wanted to be prepared in both the natural as well as the supernatural.

Writing this book was in my heart since I became pregnant and had been for quite some time after. I longed for a book that would not only remind me of my physical weekly progression, but also how I could apply it to my spiritual life, to pray for the baby that was growing inside of me, to pray blessings upon it and to pray for both my husband and I. That we would learn and grow, and God would enable us to be the parents and God-centered family God designed us to be. You will see a journal page at the end of every week. Use this as a place to write down your own scriptures, thoughts or ideas, or simply a weekly note of prayer, or love for your baby. One day this could be an amazing gift to give your child. They will be blessed to know that you spent this time with them in prayer and studying God’s Word. They will be able to look back one day and see and read what amazing parents you were right from the very start!

So, I pray for you and with you now, as you begin your journey. Read all you can about the books related to being pregnant and how to take care of your body. Ask your own parents and friends about their experiences, both good and bad, listen to your doctor and ask questions, and learn as much as you can. And most importantly, find some time to take care of the new spiritual journey you will embark on as new parents, and study what the Word of God says about this. Be healthy, happy, and blessed! And congratulations! You are entering the most beautiful time in your life, enjoy every moment!

God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth. (Gen. 1:28)

chapter 1

The First Month

Weeks 1-4

Not everyone gets pregnant on the first try. We all know this. Some people do have immediate results, and others wait for years. It’s a very trying journey to walk through if it’s been a long road, and I understand this firsthand, having had losses of my own. It’s devastating and so hard to come to grips