Not only is January the start of a new year, but it is also the perfect month to remind us to pray for the unborn who are at the start of their new life, where we all began our own lives.

Furthermore, the traditional devotion for January is the Holy Name of Jesus and His Holy Childhood!

Think about that for a moment—January, new beginnings, beginning of life, Jesus’ Holy Name, and Childhood.

Maybe you didn’t have a perfect childhood, but you had and still have the opportunity to change your life, especially with faith in Jesus Christ because you have life.

AND, you have the opportunity to help others have a childhood full of laughter and love.

How? As in all things, start with prayer. We might not always have the effects of our prayer shown to us, but that’s part of having faith. Prayer is efficacious, even if we never know how. It’s not a wishing well kind of magical thing. Jesus—God the Son—prayed. He could’ve done anything, but He prayed constantly to be close to God the Father. Being close to the Father is just what we need to do with our prayer.

How To Pray For The Unborn

This is an inexhaustible list of how to pray for the unborn and put that into action.

LECTIO DIVINA

Biblical accounts for the unborn or children are a great place to practice biblical prayer readings, called lectio divina or divine reading. (Find out how HERE)

Baby Moses: Exodus 2

Angel’s Warning to Joseph: Matthew 2

Mary’s Magnificat: Luke 1

Against Child Sacrifice: Leviticus 20:2-5, Kings 11:4-11, Jeremiah 32:35, Genesis 11:1-14

Jesus and Children: Mark 10:14, Mark 9:36-37, Matthew 18:6

Children are blessings: Psalm 127:3, John 16:21, Psalm 139:13-16, Psalm 113:9, 1 Samuel 1:27-28

What other bible stories or verses would you suggest for lectio divina specifically about children or the unborn?

PREGNANCY APPS

If you’re pregnant, use this time to also pray for another mother who is pregnant. You might think you’re not in the best situation, but there’s always someone else who also needs prayer, too.

If you’re not pregnant, that’s where downloading a pregnancy tracking app anyways comes in handy. Perhaps you want to start so that the due date is your birthday, or you want to start right away. Either way, download the app and pray as you watch what the mother and child are experiencing. Read the information on it with every update. Everyone can benefit from giving this a try as it will help you pray deeper for those who need it.

NOVENAS

(Learn to pray a Novena here –> https://catholic-link.org/how-to-pray-a-catholic-novena-a-visual-step-by-step-guide/)

Traditional novenas are nine days, but some may last up to 12 years. There are specific novenas for protection of the unborn, St. Gerard novena for a safe pregnancy, Our Lady of Guadalupe patroness of the unborn novena, and Our Lady Undoer of Knots for those in tight situations.

Other options include literally any other novena but for the special intention of the unborn and those in their lives. You can even write your own novena—who says you can’t?

PATRON SAINTS

Ask these patron saints for intercession on behalf of children, families, and parents, especially mothers. Read more about their lives to learn why they are the patron or patroness for each topic.

Victims of violence: St. Rita of Cascia, St. Monica, St. Germaine

Victims of rape: St .Agnes, St. Maria Goretti, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Zita

Mental sufferings: St. Dymphna

Grandmothers, safe pregnancy, and health: St. Anne

Fathers: St. Joseph, St. Thomas More, St. Louis Martin

Grandfathers: St. Joachim

Unborn: Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Pope Saint John Paul II, Saint Mother Teresa

Childbirth and Pregnancy Mothers: St. Gerard Majella

Working mothers, physicians, and unborn children: St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Infertility and child loss and grief: St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Felicitas of Rome

Impossible Circumstances: St. Jude, St. Philomena

Patron saint of children: St. Nicholas

Miracles for pregnant women: St. Anthony of Padua

SPIRITUAL ADOPTION

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of [baby’s name] the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.”

– Prayer of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

St. Therese of Lisieux spiritually adopted others, praying for them every day that they might make it to heaven. One could say that in praying for her murderer St. Maria spiritually adopted him, and we’ve seen the fruits of that prayer, too.

In the same way, you can pray for a baby who is not yet born and continue to hold that baby in your prayers, whether you know them or not, in hopes that not only are they born but that they are also born into eternal life. Prayers are effective, even if you don’t live to know who all benefited from them.

In honor of the month of the Holy Name of Jesus, find a name of a mother or father in need a prayers or who has been victimized and found themselves pregnant, ask the name of another’s unborn baby, or simply name one of the thousands of children lost before they were born. It might be the only name that unborn child has ever been given on this earth.

OFFER A MASS

Learn how to offer a Mass here –> https://catholic-link.org/want-to-request-a-mass-heres-how/

Uniting the struggles and concerns we have for others, like the unborn and their families, to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the most powerful prayer.

ROSARIES

Learn how to pray a rosary here –> https://catholic-link.org/pray-rosary-visual-guide/

Meditate on the Gospels, specifically for the unborn. Perhaps you know others by name you can offer up your rosary for, either for them to choose life or to have a change of heart and mind about abortion. See our guide here.

READ BOOKS BY PRO-LIFE AUTHORS

Reading St. Therese’s autobiography or about another inspiring saint’s life, especially one who spiritually adopted others, was a parent, or sacrificed him or herself for others, is also a great way to enrich your prayers this month. The dignity of the human person is found throughout all saintly lives. Make your life imitate theirs in serving God how He made you.

Through prayer, the Holy Spirit leads us to further action. With the prayerful disposition you’ll develop through the previous suggestions, you can now bring that to others directly with your actions and attitude.

Photo by Misael Moreno on Unsplash