Nearly a decade ago, I said a very special prayer for the children I hope to have one day. I laid one had on my belly and raised the other one toward heaven. “Lord, thank you for giving me the desires of my heart.”

I continue to pray for my babies to this day, as praying is one of the best things anyone with a heart for children can do. You may be longing to conceive a child of your own, expecting, or preparing to welcome a loved one’s newborn into your extended family. Below are some ways you can pray for a baby in any of these situations.

• Pour out your soul for a baby. Although Hannah’s womb was closed, she kept praying in earnest for God to give her a baby. “So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the Lord for him’” (1 Samuel 1:20).

•  Trust God for the miracle of life. “He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else…in Him, we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28).

•  Praise God for His creation. From the moment of conception, a baby develops and grows in marvelous ways. Its tiny heart beats within just 18 days! “I praise you because [this baby is] fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).

•  Rejoice at the fulfillment of God’s plans and purposes. God ordains and gives meaning to every life. “He settles the childless woman in her home as a happy mother of children” (Psalm 113:9).

•  Enjoy the baby. A baby is a blessing. “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3).