June is World Infertility Awareness Month. Perhaps you (like my husband and me) are among the 1 in 8 couples who have dealt with infertility. It’s easy to get swept up in the emotions of being unable to conceive, and, as a result, feel forgotten and alone.
But if you are a follower of Christ, you are never alone. It’s important to stay rooted in what you know to be true about God and all that He says about you.
During my struggle with infertility, God repeatedly led me to read and reread Psalm 139. Reading this chapter always brought such a wave of comfort to my soul. How refreshing it is to know that the God of the universe knows and loves me.
I have written my own prayer based on Psalm 139. I pray it encourages you and points you to Christ. I pray that you can walk through this journey knowing you are loved by El Roi (the God who sees you).
Oh Lord, I know that You have searched me, and You know me. You know my every thought and fear. You know the deepest desires of my heart and the things I’m too afraid to even hope for. You understand this longing I have for children. In this pain, how comforting it is to me to know that I am completely known and loved by You. You know the number of hairs on my head. You see the silent tears. You hear me when I cry out to You, and You love me with an everlasting love!
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? You are always with me, and because of this, I am never alone. Though it is tempting to feel isolated by pain, help me not forget that You are with me.
Remind me of this truth: The greatest joy in life is not in having a child but in being one.
Becoming Your child has been the greatest delight my soul could ever imagine, Lord! Thank You for all the sweet blessings that come from being a part of Your family. Oh, how gracious and kind You are to me. All my life, You have been faithful. Thank You for giving me Your Holy Spirit to lead me through troubled times and to comfort me in my distress.
I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful; I know that full well. All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. Help me to not waste the gift of life You have given me today.
How precious to me are Your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them. I truly do desire to think as You think. Please give me the mind of Christ and conform my way of thinking to His.
Forgive me, Lord, and help me to fully turn over to You every desire of my heart. Please use this journey to refine me. Show me if there is any hidden sin in my life, any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. … Amen.
When the weight of infertility is heavy, and the darkness presses in, may these words resonate in your heart and reverberate on your lips.
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the June 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE to get a free six-month subscription.)
