Hi friend, I'm so glad you're here. If fear has been showing up in your pregnancy (fear of pain, of loss, or of how life will change once your baby arrives), you are not alone. And you don't have to carry it by yourself. In this episode, we open Scripture together to see how God's Word teaches us to fight fear with faith in Jesus. Knowing who God is changes how we respond when we're afraid, and my prayer is that you'll walk away knowing Him a little more deeply.
🎧 Listen to the Episode
You Were Never Meant to Carry It All
One thing that feeds fear in pregnancy is the belief that everything is up to you. You have to know enough, prepare enough, and make every decision perfectly.
But God has never asked you to carry that weight. He calls you to seek wisdom and be faithful with your responsibilities, while trusting Him with what you can't control.
Let's be honest about the fears that can show up in this season:
Fear of pain: that you'll suffer more than you can bear.
Fear for your child: that your baby will be sick or hurting and you won't be able to protect them.
Fear of loss: of losing your baby, or not surviving childbirth yourself.
Fear of change: what will happen to your marriage, your other children, and your capacity once the baby arrives.
Every one of these touches something you love deeply. Some may come from real risks or past traumatic experiences. So let's bring them to God's Word together.
Truth 1: You Can Bring God Your Real Fear (Psalm 56)
David wrote Psalm 56 when the Philistines seized him in Gath. People were twisting his words, watching his every move, and seeking his life. He had legitimate reason to be afraid.
Yet he writes, "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you." He brings God exactly what he's feeling.
Then watch what happens as the psalm goes on. David describes the danger, expresses trust, describes his enemies again, asks God to act, and expresses trust again. He keeps coming back to the Lord.
If you've prayed about something and found yourself afraid again an hour later, take heart. Your fear returning doesn't mean your prayers weren't powerful enough. You can simply turn toward the Lord again.
In verse 8, David says God keeps count of his tossings and puts his tears in a bottle. Your tears matter to God. He sees you.
Here's a question to sit with: Have I actually told the Lord what I'm afraid of? Maybe the question on the surface is about choosing an intervention, but the fear underneath is, "What if my baby gets hurt and I blame myself?" That's worth bringing into prayer, and into a conversation with someone you trust. If it involves symptoms or medical risk, bring it to your provider too. Honest prayer and appropriate action go hand in hand.
Try finishing this sentence: "Lord, what I'm really afraid of is…" Start there.
Truth 2: Your Father Knows What You Need (Matthew 6)
Once you've told God what you're afraid of, you might still wonder how to get through the moment. Jesus speaks right to that in Matthew 6:25–34.
He points us to the birds and the lilies. Your heavenly Father already knows what you need. Then He asks a question that gets me every time: "Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?"
Worry can feel productive, but it's really a hamster wheel. Lots of energy, going nowhere. Sometimes I catch myself acting as though my ruminating is what holds everything together. Maybe you've felt that too.
Fear leads to analysis paralysis, but faith leads us to right action.
Jesus calls us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. So ask yourself honestly:
What am I seeking first right now?
Am I asking, "Lord, how can I be faithful to You today?"
Or am I spending all my energy making sure things go my way?
Preparing for postpartum recovery, finances, sleep, and your marriage is wise. But there's a line where useful preparation turns into trying to solve every difficulty before it exists. Jesus reminds us that today has enough trouble of its own. So ask, "What does faithfulness look like for me today?"
Truth 3: You Can Pray, Give Thanks, and Take the Next Step (Philippians 4)
What about when fearful thoughts keep circling? Paul wrote Philippians 4:4–9 as a prisoner, to a church under real pressure.
Pray specifically. Have you ever been anxious about something all day and realized you never once brought it to the Lord?
Give thanks. Thanksgiving doesn't mean calling something painful pleasant. You can thank God for who He is, for the people helping you, and for provision you've already received.
Examine your thoughts. Paul tells us to think on whatever is true. That truth may include a hard diagnosis, so don't use this passage to avoid information you need. But do examine the conclusions you attach to it. "My baby could become ill" describes a possibility. "And that would prove God isn't protecting me" is a conclusion. Where did it come from?
Practice what you've received. After you pray, what's one wise step? Someone to call, something to do, or help to receive?
There will likely be times in this season when you feel overwhelmed. Depending on Christ includes receiving care from other people. And if anxiety continues, it doesn't mean you haven't prayed sincerely enough. You can practice these truths while also receiving counseling and appropriate medical care.
Truth 4: Even If He Doesn't, God Is Still Worthy (Daniel 3)
Even after you pray, seek counsel, and make wise choices, the outcome rests in the Lord's hands. That might be the hardest part. We want to trust God, but we also want Him to tell us what He's going to do.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar's golden statue, even facing a blazing furnace. Their answer is one of the most beautiful heart postures in Scripture: God is able to deliver us. But if not, we will still not bow.
They said this before they knew how the story would end. They had already decided whom they would serve.
This has become one of my most honest prayers in hard seasons:
"Lord, I know You're able. I know You can change these circumstances, and I'm asking You to. But even if You don't, help me to remain faithful to You."
You might pray it like this: "Lord, I'm afraid of having a traumatic birth. I know You're able to protect me, and I'm asking You to care for my mind, my body, and my baby. But even if my birth is painful or traumatic, help me keep turning toward You. Remind me You haven't abandoned me. You are still good and worthy of my trust."
The passage doesn't tell us how afraid those men felt. It shows us whom they chose to serve. You can ask God for courage to stay faithful while you're still afraid.
Fighting Fear Is Also Spiritual Warfare
Scripture takes spiritual oppression seriously. In 1 Peter 5:6–9, Peter tells suffering believers to cast their anxieties on God because He cares, to stay watchful, and to resist the devil, firm in their faith.
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul talks about taking every thought captive to obey Christ. For me, that means pausing to ask, "Does this thought agree with what God has actually said?" I don't have to know where a thought came from to test whether it's true.
A lie I struggle with often is, "You're a bad mom." I'm learning to stop and say, "That's not true," then answer it with truth: "I'm an imperfect mom who needs God's grace." If I've actually sinned against my kids, like losing my patience and saying something hurtful, I can own that, apologize, and ask God to help me respond differently. That gives me something to address. Calling myself a failure just leaves me stuck.
With birth, a thought like "I won't be able to handle this. I'm completely alone" doesn't need to be answered with a promise of an easy birth. Instead: "I don't know what this birth will feel like, but I can prepare and ask the Lord to be with me."
Picture a hiking trail. The more a path is walked, the more worn and easy to follow it becomes. Familiar lies are like that. Answering them with truth can feel like stepping onto a less-traveled trail. You may need to slow down, or have someone help you find the way. But over time, the truthful path can become the familiar one.
Notice the thought.
Ask whether it agrees with Scripture.
If it doesn't, answer it with what's true.
Do the next right thing the Holy Spirit leads you to do.
When You Need More Support
If your anxiety persists, gets worse, or interferes with sleep, relationships, or daily life, please seek professional support. Counseling can help with patterns that feel hard to interrupt, and treatment like medication may be the path the Lord is leading you to.
If you're struggling right now, tell someone. Ask someone to sit with you, bring a meal, or help with your older kids. Let someone remind you of God's truth.
Where to Start When Fear Comes Back
Psalm 56: Pray honestly. "Lord, this is what I'm actually afraid of."
Matthew 6: Seek His kingdom today. "Father, You know my needs. Help me seek Your kingdom today."
Philippians 4: Ask, give thanks, examine your thoughts, and take one faithful step.
Daniel 3: Trust Him with the outcome. "Lord, You are able. But even if the answer is different, help me remain faithful to You."
This week, choose one passage to read slowly, along with the verses around it. Notice what it reveals about God's character and what response it calls you to. You can take a faithful step while you're still afraid.
📖 Scripture for Your Heart
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?"
— Psalm 56:3–4 (ESV)
🙏 A Prayer for You on Your Journey
When fear feels loud, you don't need perfect words. You can come to God honestly, ask for what you need, and trust Him with what you can't control. Here's the prayer I prayed over you at the end of the episode:
Father, I thank You that this mama can come to You honestly. You know how deeply she loves her child. You know the fears she's barely put into words: the fear of pain, or of loss, or of whatever You have for her in this next season.
Help her to know You and Your character through Your Word. Like David, teach her to bring You her distress and turn it toward You in trust. Thank You that You see her tears.
Help her to remember that You know what she needs. I pray that You would teach her to bring You her requests with thanksgiving. Help this sweet mama recognize what's true and what's a lie. Strengthen her to resist lies and keep turning toward You, Jesus. Thank You that her hope rests in You.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
You don't need to remember everything from this episode. Just start with one truth, one prayer, and one faithful step.
📎Resources & Links Mentioned
✨ Christian Mama Birth Prep Library: Grab the free “When Fear Feels Loud” handout with the passages, prayers, and practical reminders from today’s episode
🎧 Bonus Episode: When You Feel Like a Failing Mom: God’s Sufficient Grace in Pregnancy Struggles
💕 Work with Me 1:1 – Virtual Doula Support & Schedule a Private Coaching Call
✝️ Online Christian Childbirth Education - Explore my complete birth preparation self-paced course
🎴 NEW Christian Birth Affirmation Cards: You can now purchase them here
📣 Let’s Stay Connected
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Meet Your Host —
Natalie is a certified birth doula and childbirth educator in Jacksonville, FL. She's trained through DONA International, certified as a Body Ready Method Pro, and an advanced VBAC doula. Through Faith Over Fear Birth, she equips Christian women to experience peaceful, faith-filled births through both virtual and in-person support.
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📄 Full Episode Transcript
So the name of this podcast is Faith Over Fear, but how can you practically combat fear with faith as you navigate pregnancy, birth, and motherhood? That’s what I want to explore with you today. My prayer is that this episode helps you grow in your knowledge of God, His character, His promises, and His care for you, because knowing who God is shapes how you respond when you’re afraid.
One thing that can feed your fear is the belief that everything is up to you, that you have to know enough, prepare enough, and make every decision perfectly. But God has never asked you to carry that weight. He calls you to seek wisdom and be faithful with your responsibilities while trusting Him with what you can’t control.
So today, let’s open Scripture together and explore how God’s Word teaches you to fight fear with faith in Jesus, and what that can look like in the everyday decisions and uncertainties of motherhood.
I want to be really honest about the types of fears you may face in this season. Maybe you’re afraid of pain. You’re afraid that you’ll suffer more than you think you can possibly bear. Or maybe you’re afraid your child will be sick or in pain, and you won’t be able to protect them if that happens. Or maybe you’re afraid of losing your baby, or of not surviving childbirth yourself. Or maybe you’re afraid of how life will be different after your baby arrives: what will happen to your marriage and to your other children, or to your capacity to do what needs to be done.
All of those fears touch on things that you love deeply, and some of them may be coming in response to real risks or past painful, traumatic experiences.
I want us to walk through a few passages: Psalm 56, Matthew 6, Philippians 4, and Daniel 3. My hope is that as we go through these passages, you’ll see both what God is like and how you can turn to Him when you’re afraid.
So let’s start with someone who was afraid for his life. The first passage I want to share with you is Psalm 56. It was written when David was seized by the Philistines in Gath, and I would encourage you to take some time to read through this whole psalm. But I’m going to read just an excerpt to you, Psalm 56:3–4:
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”
David is describing people pursuing him. They’re twisting his words, they’re watching his movements, and they’re seeking to end his life. He has legitimate reason to be afraid. But I love that in verse 3 he says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” He’s bringing God what he’s actually feeling.
Then something important happens as the psalm continues. David keeps returning to describing the danger. He expresses trust, describes his enemies again, asks the Lord to act, and again expresses trust. He keeps coming back to the Lord.
If you’ve prayed about something and then found yourself afraid again an hour later, I hope this encourages you. You can continue to turn toward the Lord again. You don’t need to conclude that your previous prayers weren’t powerful enough or effective because your fear returned.
Then in verse 8, David talks about God keeping count of his tossings and putting his tears in a bottle. His tears matter to God. God sees what’s happening to him. Maybe you need to meditate on just that for a moment.
David also keeps returning to God’s Word. He’s trusting the God who has spoken, even while the people around him are a threat. So the first practical response to fear is to bring the actual fear to God. That might sound like, “I’m afraid of how hard this labor will be. I’m afraid my baby or I won’t make it through.”
Some of these fears are hard to even say out loud. You may worry that admitting them makes them more likely to happen, or that God will be disappointed that you feel them. But Psalm 56 gives you a pattern of honest prayer. You can ask for mercy and protection, describe what frightens you, and then bring Him your tears.
David asks what people can do to him, and he knows they could kill him; they could take his life. But he’s looking to God as the one with greater authority, and at the end, he thanks God for delivering him. I don’t want to promise you that every danger you face will end exactly as David’s did, but you can follow his example of bringing God your fear and asking Him for help.
So here’s something you can ask yourself: Have I actually told the Lord what I’m afraid of? Have I brought Him the fear underneath the question I’ve been researching? Maybe the question on the surface is about choosing an intervention, but underneath it is, “What if my baby gets hurt and I blame myself for that?”
That is a burden worth bringing into prayer, and into a conversation with someone who’s trustworthy. If a concern involves symptoms or medical risk, bring that to your provider too. Honest prayer and appropriate action go hand in hand.
Before moving on, think about your own fear for a moment. How would you finish this sentence? “Lord, what I’m really afraid of is…” You can begin there. Bring that to Him in prayer.
Being honest with God is where we can start. But once you’ve told Him what you’re afraid of, you might still wonder, “How am I supposed to get through this moment?” Jesus speaks to that question in Matthew 6.
Just before the part I’m about to read about worry, Jesus is talking about treasure: what you value and where your heart is. Then He talks about serving God rather than money. So that’s where we begin, with Matthew 6:25:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Jesus isn’t speaking to people whose concerns were trivial. He acknowledges our basic needs and says they are important to God. Look at the birds. Consider the flowers. Notice God’s provision. Your heavenly Father already knows what you need.
Jesus also asks what our worry accomplishes. Can it extend your life? That question gets me, because worry can feel like I’m doing something useful, but it’s like being on a hamster wheel. I’m using a lot of energy, but I’m going nowhere. Sometimes I catch myself acting as though my ruminating is part of what holds everything together. Maybe you recognize that feeling.
Of course, some things do need your attention. But staying worried can’t give you control. Fear leads to analysis paralysis, but faith leads us to right action.
Jesus invites us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and that is where He asks you to look a little deeper. What’s getting first place in your life? Ask yourself, “What am I seeking first? What has become the organizing concern of my life? Am I asking, ‘Lord, how can I be faithful to You today?’ Or am I spending all my energy trying to make sure things go the way I want, because I believe my plans are really the best?”
Asking yourself these kinds of honest questions can be really uncomfortable. But when God clearly calls you to something, you can’t make your obedience depend on whether it makes sense to you. And sometimes you’re so busy trying to get certainty about tomorrow that you miss what needs your attention today.
Think about the fear of life changing after a baby arrives. You may have real questions about postpartum recovery, or money, or childcare, or sleep, or how this is affecting your marriage. Preparing for those things is wise. But at some point, you can move from useful preparation into trying to solve every possible difficulty before it even exists.
Jesus ends this passage by acknowledging that today has enough trouble of its own. He calls you away from anxious preoccupation with tomorrow and gives you a different priority for today: seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. So I want you to ask yourself, “What does faithfulness look like for me today?”
Jesus knows you have needs, and He knows that each day brings trouble. He calls you to trust your Father’s care and put His kingdom first, right here, today.
So you can tell God the truth, and you can remember that your Father knows what you need. But what about when those fearful thoughts keep circling in your mind? That’s where I want to spend some time in Philippians 4.
Here Paul is writing as a prisoner, to a church facing real pressures. Listen to Philippians 4:4–9:
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
There’s a lot there, so let’s slow down and think about prayer first. Have you ever had an anxious thought about a problem all day, and then realized you never once brought it to the Lord in prayer? I encourage you to be specific in your prayers.
Paul also includes thanksgiving. That can be challenging when the need is unresolved, but thanksgiving doesn’t require calling a painful circumstance pleasant or pretending you already have the outcome you’re asking for. You can thank God for who He is. You can thank Him for the people who are helping you, and you can acknowledge a provision you’ve already received.
Then there’s the part about what you keep thinking about. Paul includes truth in his instruction. Truth may include a difficult diagnosis or an uncertain prognosis. You shouldn’t use this passage to avoid information you need, but you should examine the conclusions you’ve attached to that information.
“My baby could become ill.” That’s describing a possibility. But then your mind might add, “And if that happens, it will prove that God isn’t protecting me.” Where did that conclusion come from?
Paul also tells the church to practice what they have received. You can put your faith into practice. So after you’ve prayed, what’s one wise step you can take? Is there someone you need to talk to, something you need to do, or help you need to receive?
I want to lovingly say that there will very likely be times during this season when you feel overwhelmed and need some help. Dependence on Christ includes receiving care from other people. Paul learned this over time, and that gives you room to keep learning it too.
If anxiety continues, that doesn’t mean you haven’t prayed sincerely enough. Persistent or worsening anxiety deserves support. You can practice these instructions while also receiving counseling and appropriate medical care.
If you want to hear more of my very personal story and my battle with fear and anxiety, I put out a bonus episode a while ago called “When You Feel Like a Failing Mom: God’s Sufficient Grace in Pregnancy Struggles.” I’ll link that bonus episode in the show notes if you’d like to take a listen.
Even after you pray, keep seeking counsel, and make wise choices, the outcome remains in the Lord’s capable hands. And honestly, that might be the hardest part. You want to trust God, but you also want Him to tell you what He’s going to do.
In the book of Daniel, we learn how King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue and commanded people to worship it. Those who refused faced death in a blazing furnace. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to this idol. The king gave them another opportunity and challenged whether any god could rescue them from his power. They were being told to worship another god or die.
That’s where I’m going to start reading, in Daniel 3:16–18:
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’”
That is one of the most beautiful heart postures in Scripture to me. They affirm God’s ability. They acknowledge the possibility that they will not be rescued. And they remain committed to the Lord.
They say this before they know how the story ends. Later in the chapter, God does deliver them, but at the moment they answer the king, they haven’t experienced that rescue yet. They’ve already decided whom they’re going to serve.
This has become one of the most honest and powerful ways I’ve learned to pray when I’m going through something really difficult. I say something like, “Lord, I know You’re able. I know You can change these circumstances, and I’m asking You to. But even if You don’t, help me to remain faithful to You.”
You can bring that same heart posture into your own prayers. It might sound something like this: “Lord, I’m afraid of having a traumatic birth. I know You’re able to protect me, and I’m asking You to care for my mind and my body and my baby as I give birth. But even if my birth is painful or traumatic, help me keep turning toward You, Lord. When I don’t understand what happened, remind me that You haven’t abandoned me. You are still good and worthy of my trust.”
There is honesty in that prayer. Sometimes my most honest prayer is, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” And you can bring that to Him too.
This passage in Daniel doesn’t tell you how much fear those men felt. It shows you whom they chose to serve. I find that encouraging, because I can ask God for courage to remain faithful while I’m still afraid. Sometimes faith sounds like a really confident declaration, and other times it sounds like asking God to help you keep turning to Him.
One of the hardest parts of motherhood is loving someone whose whole life you can’t control. You can bring God all of it—what you’re asking for, what you’re afraid of, and what you don’t understand—and ask Him to help you keep following Him.
As you think about continuing to trust God, there’s something else I want to talk about, and that is spiritual warfare. Scripture takes spiritual oppression very seriously. In 1 Peter 5, Peter talks about God’s care and resisting the devil right alongside each other. He’s writing to believers who are suffering, so listen to what he tells them in 1 Peter 5:6–9:
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
Notice what he tells them to do. Bring their anxieties to God, because He cares. Stay watchful. Resist the devil by standing firm in their faith. That’s something you and I can practice too, and I want to share what I’m learning about that in my own thought life.
You may have heard the phrase “take every thought captive.” That comes from 2 Corinthians 10:5. In that passage, Paul is talking about confronting arguments and beliefs that stand against the knowledge of God and bringing them into obedience to Christ.
As I think about my own beliefs, that challenges me to pause and ask, “Does this thought agree with what God has actually said?” I’ll ask myself, “Is this thought coming from the enemy, from me, or from God?” I’m learning that I don’t have to know exactly where a thought came from before I can examine whether it’s true. Whatever its source, I can bring it before the Lord and compare it with Scripture.
For example, a thought I struggle with a lot is telling myself, “You’re a bad mom.” When that comes up, I’m learning to stop instead of automatically agreeing with it. I’ll say in my head, or sometimes even out loud, “That’s not true.” Then I try to answer it with something that is true, like, “I’m an imperfect mom who needs God’s grace.”
And if there’s something specific I’ve done wrong, like sinning against my children in my anger, I can be honest about that too. Maybe I lost my patience with my kids and said something really hurtful to them. The truthful response would be, “Okay, I need to apologize to them, and then I need to ask God to help me respond differently.” That gives me something to address. Calling myself a failure, though, just leaves me stuck.
You can try this too with fear about birth. Maybe there’s a thought like, “I won’t be able to handle this. I’m completely alone.” You don’t have to answer that by promising yourself an easy birth, but you can say, “I don’t know what this birth will feel like, but I can prepare and ask the Lord to be with me.” The goal is to believe what’s true, even when the truth feels uncertain.
Here’s a picture that helps me. Imagine a hiking trail. The more often a path gets walked, the more worn and familiar it becomes. It’s easy to follow because you’ve been down it so many times. That’s how a familiar belief can feel. You’ve told yourself the same thing for so long that your mind heads right down that path almost without you noticing.
Learning to answer it with truth can feel like stepping onto a less familiar trail. You may have to slow down, or you may need someone to help you find the path. So notice a thought, ask whether it agrees with Scripture, and if it doesn’t, answer it with something true. Then do the next right thing the Holy Spirit is leading you to do.
Over time, the truthful thought may become the more familiar one. But if that same lie keeps returning, just continue to practice the truth again and again.
If your anxiety persists or gets worse, and it’s interfering with your sleep, your relationships, or your daily functioning, please seek professional support. Counseling can help you work through patterns that feel really difficult to interrupt, and treatment like medication may also be the path the Lord is leading you to.
And if you’re struggling right now, tell someone. Ask someone to sit with you, or simply ask for basic needs to be met, like a meal or help with your older kids. Let someone remind you of God’s truth and help you with the practical things you’re carrying.
So say you stop listening to this episode and that familiar fear comes back. Where can you start?
Looking back at Psalm 56, you can practice honest prayer: “Lord, this is the thing I’m actually afraid of.”
From Matthew 6, you can examine your priorities and attend to today’s responsibilities: “Father, You know what my needs are. Help me to seek Your kingdom today.”
From Philippians 4, you can ask for what you need, give thanks, pay attention to what you’re thinking about, and take that faithful next step.
And Daniel 3 gives you words for trusting God when you don’t know how things will turn out: “Lord, You are able, and I’m asking You to act. But even if the answer is different from what I’m hoping for, help me to remain faithful to You.”
I would love to encourage you to slow down and meditate on one passage. Read it slowly this week, and then read the verses around it. Notice what it reveals about God and His character, and what response it calls you to.
If there’s a practical concern you can address, I want you to take that step. If you need support, ask someone to help you. And when you’re facing something you can’t resolve today, keep bringing it to the Lord. You can take a faithful step while you’re still afraid.
As we close out this episode, I would love the opportunity to pray over you right now.
Father, I thank You that this mama can come to You honestly. You know how deeply she loves her child. You know the fears she’s barely put into words: the fear of pain, or of loss, or of whatever You have for her in this next season.
Help her to know You and Your character through Your Word. Like David, teach her to bring You her distress and turn it toward You in trust. Thank You that You see her tears.
Help her to remember that You know what she needs. I pray that You would teach her to bring You her requests with thanksgiving. Help this sweet mama recognize what’s true and what’s a lie. Strengthen her to resist lies and keep turning toward You, Jesus. Thank You that her hope rests in You.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Before you go, I put together a simple handout called “When Fear Feels Loud.” It brings together the passages from today’s episode, along with short prayers and practical reminders you can return to when you feel anxious or fearful. You can find that handout in the Christian Mama Birth Prep Library, which you can sign up for at faithoverfearbirth.com. Save it to your phone, or print it and keep it somewhere you can see it, like on your refrigerator or your bathroom mirror.
You don’t need to remember everything we talked about today. Just start with one truth, one prayer, and one faithful step.
