Scriptural confession for delivery

by Nomthi Odukoya

Dear Heavenly Father, I look forward to the delivery of my sweet precious baby having enjoyed a blessed pregnancy of full term. I thank You for Your word, Your blessings and promises. I am assured of Your mighty presence and divine intervention as You have promised never to leave me nor forsake me and to be with me always. I pray, believe and confess that as You have purposed, my body and baby will cooperate with Your prefect and supernatural plan for my delivery. There will be no problems or complications of any kind in Jesus name.

I believe and declare that I will have a short, easy, quick and painless delivery for Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law, therefore I shall have no sorrow in childbearing (Galatians 3:13). I declare that I shall have enough time to get to the hospital and receive the proper care. I receive Your wisdom Lord for all the medical personnel who shall assist my delivery. I declare in the name of Jesus that they are led by Your Spirit concerning my baby and me. I declare there shall be no mistake or negligence on their part.

Baby, I speak to you in the name of Jesus, I command you to move and place yourself in the proper and prefect position for birth; head first and not breech and face down. You shall rotate properly as God intended and I command the umbilical cord to be in the proper position.

Baby, I command you to function properly and be at peace. Relax in Jesus name. I reject and stand against all fear for I have perfect peace as my mind is stayed on God (Isaiah 26:3) I command all muscles and organs to relax and conform to God’s word.

I thank You Father that at your prefect and appointed time for my delivery, my water will break and my uterus will contract and push my baby into your loving arms and our lives. I command my cervix to dilate fully quickly, to be elastic and stretch. I declare in Jesus name I shall have no tears and have no need of a cut.

I thank you father for my miraculous delivery and the well-being of my baby because we are already healed by the stripes of Jesus. My baby shall not be jaundiced or have club feet or sickness of any kind.

I receive strength for labour and regain full strength and health after my delivery. I declare that my body shall be restored quickly to its normal shape and size and I shall have no afterbirth complications or diseases in Jesus name.

Thank You Father, for I receive all these in Jesus name. AMEN

Scriptural confession for pregnant women

by Nomthi Odukoya

Father Almighty, I thank You for this pregnancy. I thank You because you have taken sickness out of my midst (Deuteronomy 7:15) and so I will not have any of the negative symptoms of pregnancy. I will not have morning sickness, swollen feet, diabetes, hypertension or pre-eclampsia.

Your word declares that I shall not suffer miscarriage and the number of my days You will fulfill (Exodus 23:25-26). This pregnancy will be fulfilled in Jesus name. I am a tither and Your word says You will rebuke the devourer for my sake and he shall not destroy the fruits of my ground, nor shall my vine cast her fruit before the time in the field (Malachi 3:10-11)

I thank You because children are Your heritage Lord and I am so grateful to have received Your regard of the fruit of the womb (Psalms 127:3). I praise You because my children will be like arrows in my hands and I will be happy with my quiver full of children (Psalms 127:4). Great is the peace of my children Lord for they shall be taught of You (Isaiah 54:13).

Lord I bless You because I know Your thoughts towards me are of peace, and not of evil to give me an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). And I declare that the expected end will be the safe delivery of a perfect and healthy child.

Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes from the Father of light with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17). Therefore, I am assured that my baby is good and perfect in Jesus name.

I will not be afraid of anything concerning this pregnancy and the safe delivery of my baby. I rebuke fear and doubt for the Lord has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). I cast down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. I bring into captivity every though to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). I let the peace of God rule in my heart and I refuse to worry about anything (Colossians 3:15).

I shall not labour in vain, or have trouble bringing forth, for I and my offspring are the seed of the blessed of the Lord (Isaiah 65:23). Your joy will be my strength Lord (Nehemiah 8:10) for You are the strength of my life (Philippians 4:13).

Father, pain is under the curse of the law and Your word says that Jesus bore our pain, so I rebuke all pain and declare that I will have a short, easy, pain free delivery in Jesus name (Isaiah 66:7). I will not tolerate any pain or complications during my pregnancy and delivery. I thank You that at Your perfect time when it pleases You, You will separate my baby from my womb (Galatians 1:15).

Father God Almighty, I give You all the glory and all the praise for I know that You will perfect that which concerns me (Psalm 138:8) and that the testimony of my wonderful pregnancy and safe delivery will forever be to Your glory and honour in Jesus mighty name. AMEN

Getting rid of it

by Nomthi Odukoya

“I was aborted but I did not die.”

The above is a statement by Gianna Jessen, a Christian pro-life activist from the US, who was adopted at the age of four after living in foster care from infancy after a failed saline abortion attempt. The failed abortion that should have burnt her in her mother’s womb led to her being born with cerebral palsy, a non-progressive, non-contagious motor condition that affects various areas of body movement. She stated that “through prayer and hard work by my foster mother, I was walking at the age of three and the half with the help of a walker and leg braces. Now, I am left with only a slight limp.” This experience formed the underlying message of her activism –

Abortion is a very controversial issue, yet more and more women are having abortions every year. The majority of abortions performed today are done for social, not medical reasons. Many young pregnant women, who have unplanned pregnancies believe that abortion is the only solution to their problem. In the USA, it is estimated that over 50 million potential lives have been terminated by abortion since 1973. Here in Nigeria, abortion is illegal and carries a heavy jail sentence, unless it is performed to save the life of a pregnant woman.

The pro-life or anti-abortion movement argues that even non-viable, undeveloped human life is sacred and must be protected. The pro-choice or pro-abortion movement on the other hand, argues that prior to the point of viability (when the baby can survive outside of the womb), the government does not have the right to impede a woman’s right to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy.

The decision to abort an unborn child is often a very difficult one, and there are various reasons that push people to make such a choice. Common reasons are, financial instability, partner or parental pressure, the potential negative impact on the mother’s life – pregnancy at the wrong time can have a lifelong impact on the mother’s finances and prospects, relationship problems, unwillingness to be a single mother and health issues.

Some of the most common reasons given for why abortion should be made legal are:

Abortion is a termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. A person becomes a person at birth not conception.
Fetuses are incapable of feeling pain when an abortion is performed
When women have access to legal abortions performed by a medical professional, it reduces injuries and deaths caused by unsafe, illegal abortions.
Modern, medical abortion procedures are safe.
Abortion gives couples the options to choose not to bring babies with severe and life-threatening conditions to the full term. It is wrong to sentence a child to life with an acute handicap.

Those who are against abortion commonly give the following reasons (amongst others) for why abortion should be illegal:

Life begins at conception and since no civilized society permits people to intentionally take the life of another, the same should apply to an unborn child.
Adoption is a feasible alternative to abortion.
In the instance of a pregnancy as a result of rape or incest,instead of punishing the unborn child, the perpetrator should be punished.
An abortion can result in medical complications later in life.
Many women who go through abortions have life-long regrets afterwards – some women have experienced a psychological condition called Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS) which can cause recurrent memories of the procedure, sexual dysfunction, guilt, damaged self esteem, memory impairment, hostile outbursts, substance abuse, insomnia, problems with emotional relationships etc.

If you are considering having an abortion, here are some facts to consider:

At the moment of conception, 46 chromosomes with 30,000 genes combine to determine the child’s sex, facial features, color of eyes, hair and skin and the many other physical characteristics that make the child unique
Fertilization takes place one day after the intercourse, at this stage the genetic composition of the child is form such as gender, hair and eye colour, facial features etc
18days after conception, the baby’s heart begins to beat
40days after conception, the child’s brain starts to function
6 weeks after conception, the fingers begin to form
2 months after conception, the child’s has his/her own set of unique footprints
9 weeks after conception, the child is able to respond to touch

Some bible scholars state that the blood of innocent aborted babies sometimes cries for justice (like Abel’s). I can think of no justification for abortion, except as a medical resolution to issues of life or death. The best way to prevent abortion is stated in the bible – avoid sex before marriage (abstinence). However, if you are already pregnant, instead of opting for an abortion, you can repent of your sin and trust that God is able to supply all your needs, including those of your child (Philippians 4:19). If you have already had an abortion, you can repent (ask God for mercy) and make better decisions going forward. If you really feel unable to care for a child, a viable alternative to abortion is adoption. There is no such thing as an unwanted baby, there are families willing to adopt.

Don’t jeopardize your future through the decisions you make today. God has a plan for you…

PRAY DURING PREGNANCY

by Nomthi Odukoya

Ever heard the saying “Don’t leave your future to chance”? I believe that this saying cannot be truer than when pregnant. According to Sociologists, every child is born a clean slate upon which words and experience write.

During pregnancy, this clean slate can be written upon with our words of prayers. It has been medically proven that from the age of 16 weeks, babies in the womb begin to respond to voices, words, moods, thoughts etc of the mother. This gives the mother the rare opportunity of being the sole influence on the baby. This is how and when we begin to write on this clean slate.

Prayer, as we know it, is communicating with God and, at the same time, instructing creation to align to meet our needs. You will declare a thing, and it will be established for you (Job 22:28). So we cannot overemphasize the power of an expectant mother’s prayer.

From the time of Moses till this very day, some of our most influential heroes became history makers because of their mothers’ prayers.

The late Pastor Bimbo Odukoya, in a number of her sermons, spoke of how she prayed her first child Toluwani into the singing ministry while she was pregnant. Today, if you hear Tolu’s voice, you will immediately understand the importance of the prayers of an expectant mother, no matter how trivial or insignificant they may seem.

Abraham Lincoln, unarguably one of America’s most influential presidents, said: “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me, they have clinged to me all my life.” He attributed all his great feats to his mother’s prayers.

Another name worthy of mention is George Washington whom his mother prayed for, just few hours before his delivery. Upon achieving many successes in life, he attributed all his successes to the prayers of his mother and honoured her with the words: “All that I am, I owe to my mother.”

So, you do not have to leave your future to chance like most mothers do inadvertently. Pray constantly (that is without ceasing) for your unborn child.

Prayers aid divine perception and so many gain prophetic insight into the future during prayers. God can reveal certain aspects of the child’s future to the mother. Examples in the Bible include the mothers of Moses, John the Baptist, Samson, Jesus, to mention a few.

Also, you can sometimes influence your unborn child with certain God-like attributes (probably the ones you lack but which you wish you had). For example gentleness, self-control, kindness etc.

Rise up, Expectant Mother! God is depending on you.

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