Prayer for a Mother of a Newborn in the NICU

close up of light-skinned adult hand holding hand of small baby

You have just finished playing God,
And you made creation look so easy.
Remember that God also rested when the labor was over.

Baby’s cry of first breath,
inhale
A mother’s sigh of relief,
exhale

You reach for the fruit of your labor,
Taken away to incubate, keeping warm,
A first cradle postponed.
Like waiting for months wasn’t enough,
Your patience is being tested once more.

Sarah waited, far too long.
So what’s a few more days, right?
Every second apart feels like eternity.
How is it possible to yearn for someone
You never met before, but somehow you already know?

Breathe in, breathe out,
Baby is out,
Tubes are in

אל נא רפא נא לה
Please God, heal her wounds
ותן לה את פרי בטנה, בשמחה
And give her the fruit of her labor,
In joy.

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