What
is a Miscarriage?
The Word miscarriage also known, as a spontaneous abortion is the term used for pregnancy loss. It is when your body has been unable to carry your baby until the full term of the pregnancy. In other words to give birth prematurely. The full duration of a pregnancy is 40 weeks gestation. It is estimated that one in four pregnancies either end in miscarriage or stillbirth. A miscarriage usually begins with bleeding and period like cramping, which intensifies until blood clots and tissue pass. Sometimes the baby may die and the mother’s body still progresses with the pregnancy as if there is nothing wrong. An ultrasound usually detects this tragedy. If the body fails to reject the baby then a "D and C" (dilate and curettage) will be performed. This is where the doctors have to surgically remove the tissue and the blood filled uterine lining. If any of the tissue remains there is a high risk of infection and damage to the uterus.
I don't think that
anyone fully understands why a baby dies or a
miscarriage occurs. Sometimes there is no
explanation. Just because you may have miscarried
doesn't necessarily mean that you will miscarry
again. For those of you who are hesitant on
conceiving again you may find it encouraging to
know that many women who have experienced
miscarriage go on to have a successful pregnancy
next time around.
There are constructive steps that you can take to
feel positive about falling pregnant either for the
first time or after a previous miscarriage. If you
have experienced miscarriage it is important that
you don't try to analyse what’s happened or get
into condemnation but begin to build up your faith
in preparation for your next pregnancy. This is the
most positive step that you can take. You will need
to do this so that you will not be anxious or
fearful of miscarriage during your next pregnancy.
All you can do physically is to watch your
lifestyle by getting plenty of rest and by watching
the foods you eat. Pregnancy is not the time to
over work yourself but is about taking good care of
you and your unborn baby.
If you have experienced miscarriage you might want
to get some medical advice so that if there is a
sickness or complication you know exactly what to
pray for. However there is not always a conclusive
reason for miscarriage. Generally, tests are not
performed until a woman has suffered three
consecutive miscarriages. Some women have trouble
in certain areas and praying for specifics is
necessary. Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight what
needs to be covered in your pregnancy. He will
teach you how to pray effectively.
To build up your faith in this area spend time in
prayer (preferably before the pregnancy) praying
for protection from miscarriage, for your health,
and the growth and development of your baby. Faith
is also kept alive by prayer. Write down the
Scriptures that you find helpful and put them in a
prominent position so that every time you walk past
them, they can remind you to pray. We met a woman
through our prayer group who has experienced six
miscarriages. She mentioned the times she didn’t
miscarry (she now has five children) was when she
had spent the time in prayer and claiming God’s
Word over her pregnancy.
It is also a good idea to pray for the development
of your baby (See God is Creator). Praying for the
development of your baby and the protection of
miscarriage goes hand in hand because your baby
needs to implant and develop properly for the
pregnancy to progress. Praying for your baby to
implant in the perfect place in your uterine wall
is also worthwhile. If your baby implants in the
fallopian tube this can be a serious condition if
left undetected. The baby can’t survive, the tube
can explode and the mother may bleed to death.
Another serious condition is when a baby implants
too low near the cervix. Not only will a vaginal
delivery may be impossible but also the placenta
may fail to grow up the uterine wall and cover the
cervix instead. The placenta needs to be implanted
in the uterine wall so it can continue to nourish
the baby and keep it alive.
Another reason why prayer is important is because
pregnancy can make you feel vulnerable and
'spiritually weak'. This is due to hormones and
other changes that are happening in your body.
Prayer builds up your inner man so if there is a
complication you will feel stronger and be able to
fight. If on the other hand if you relax and are
threatened with miscarriage there will be no
foundation to fall back on. Prayer and claiming
God's Word is like an umbrella of protection. Time
and time again, we see women relax their hold when
they conceive and are then spiritually weak and
confused if a battle arises. When we face
emergencies we may need to build up our faith first
before we feel the strength to pray. On the other
hand if we are prepared, we are able to draw
strength from our preparation and be victorious!
When these women have miscarried it wasn’t that
they didn't pray hard enough or have enough faith;
it was because they were totally unprepared. You
are not in your "Promised Land" until your baby is
safely born. I do NOT want to cause you to fear,
but want to encourage you to keep praying. There
may be many concerns that will need to be covered
in your pregnancy then also once your baby has been
born.
The decision to fight in prayer is also important
because our battles are won in the spiritual realm.
The battle we wage against miscarriage is not done
by physical or 'carnal' means but by spiritual
means.
Eph 6:11-13 Put
on the full armor of God so that you can take your
stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle
is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers
of this dark world and against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on
the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil
comes, you may be able to stand your
ground.
2 Cor 10:3-4 For though we live in
the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of
the world. On the contrary, they have divine power
(they are mighty before God-AMP) to demolish
strongholds.
The weapons the Lord has given to us are mighty and
have the power to demolish strongholds. The Word of
God is a powerful sword in our hand
(Eph
6:17).As you know this is a
spiritual not physical sword. Therefore, we have to
use spiritual means to maintain something in the
physical. Therefore pregnancy is maintained in the
spirit. That’s why we need to be prepared and built
up spiritually before we conceive.
I don’t want prayer to sound like a method or a
works based plan. It is by the grace of God that He
heals and delivers us. Many women conceive, carry
babies and give birth with no complications but
there are those of us who experience constant
battles. When this is the case we need to make a
decision and stand on God's promises and
aggressively fight to obtain what is rightfully
ours.
Is it God's will for us to
Miscarry?
Exo 23:25-26 Worship
the LORD your God, and His blessing will be on your
food and water. I will take away sickness from
among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in
your land. I will give you a full life
span.
This is a specific promise regarding our health,
fertility and the life of our unborn children. I
have expanded this Scripture in the beginning of
this book as it relates to every area of
childbearing.
Gen 49:25 because
of your father's God, who helps you, because of the
Almighty, who blesses you with blessings of the
heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies
below, blessings of the breast and
womb.
A blessed and fruitful womb is also a part of our
covenant with God.
Deuteronomy 28 lists the blessings and
promises in our covenant. It speaks of many
different spiritual and material blessings. It also
outlines our protection and deliverance from all
forms of sickness and disease. Knowing that
miscarriage is a form of sickness we are assured
that we can confidently claim protection.
Deu 30:19 This
day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against
you that I have set before you life and death,
blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you
and your children may live.
Isa 65:20 "Never
again will there be an infant who lives a few days,
or an old man who does not live out his years; he
who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth;
he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered
accursed."
When we come into a relationship with God we enter
into a covenant with Him. By doing this we choose
God and receive eternal life. When I intercede for
women who are threatened with miscarriage I remind
God of His covenant and because the women have
chosen life by following Him He promised them that
their children will live!
Another powerful promise regarding miscarriage is
the following Scriptures in Zechariah and psalm.
Zec 8:12 "The
seed will grow well, the vine will yield its
fruit,…
Psalm 128:1-4 Blessed
are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and
prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a
fruitful vine within your house; your sons will be
like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the
man blessed who fears the
LORD.
If we fear the Lord we will be like fruitful vines
around our husband's tables. If you haven't
discerned it yet the "vine" in these Scriptures is
referring to expectant mothers. We can claim God's
promise that we will not cast "our fruit" (miscarry
our children) before the appointed time.
Ecclesiastes
3:2 tells us that there is
a time to be born. The appointed time for the birth
of our babies is the full duration (40 weeks) of
our pregnancies.
Spend time meditating on these promises to build up
your confidence, faith and strength for your
pregnancy. Allow time for these promises to be
planted within your hearts for them to bring
revelation. This is because it is not enough just
to know these promises you must believe them. You
need not only believe them but to apply them even
in times of adverse or opposing circumstances. You
also need to be immersed with the promises of God
so that there is no room left for fears, doubts, or
discouragement. Be like Abraham and not stagger in
unbelief but simply believe by being fully
persuaded that God is able to do what He has
promised to do (Rom
4:20-21).
Just because we are Christians doesn't mean we are
automatically protected from miscarriage. We live
in a fallen world so miscarriage, sickness, disease
or any other complications can happen to any one of
us. However, the good news is that we can receive a
different outcome. Isaiah
53:4-5 tells us that Jesus has
paid the price for ALL sickness and disease
therefore He has paid the price for miscarriage.
We need to apply this and all the other promises
regarding miscarriage to our life by faith because
they will not manifest on their own. First we need
to receive a personal revelation so we have that
deep knowing in our spirit that it is not God's
will for us to miscarry. Faith must be on the Word
of God not on feelings or man's words. Faith is
important, because it builds us up in our spirit
and helps us to focus on God rather than our
circumstances. We all have a measure of
faith (Rom
12:3).and when we use it, it
becomes stronger. God tells us to pay attention and
listen closely to His Word and not let it out of
our sight. We need to guard and keep it in our
heart because when we do something supernatural
happens. The Word becomes life when we receive
revelation and brings healing to our flesh
(Prov
4:20-22).
God's Word
is medicine to our soul. It is the cure or remedy
we need for it has the power to bring healing to
the whole person; spirit, soul and body.
Once we receive personal revelation we need to
continue to claim God's Word over our lives. God
watches to see that His Word is fulfilled
(Jer
1:12) for it will not return
to Him empty, but will accomplish what He desires
and it will achieve the purpose for which He sent
it (Isaiah
55:11).God's
Word returns to Him when we speak it out of our
mouths by claiming it over our lives. His Word is
not merely empty words rather promises that contain
the capacity to change our circumstances.
Even though many know what God's Word says about
miscarriage they still feel that in certain
situations it is His will for some to
miscarry. James
1:17 says,
"Every
good and perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does
not change like shifting shadows".
Only good
gifts come from God and miscarriage for any reason
is not a good gift. God doesn't bless us with
children only to take them away from us. Whenever
the Bible mentions children it says that they are a
gift and a reward from God (Psa
127:3).
Not once
does it mention that we are to dread or be fearful
of them in any way. God doesn’t want us to be in
fear during the pregnancy or even in the birth for
that matter.
Each one of us has been designed by God to praise
Him, for He is enthroned in the praises of His
people (Psalm
22:3 NKJ).When
we receive a miracle, we praise God.
Isaiah
38:18 tells us
"the
grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your
praise". How can we praise Him
if what we have been hoping and praying for dies?
God doesn't get the glory when a baby dies. How
then, can miscarriage be God's will?
God created mankind to conceive, carry and give
birth to healthy children. This was His original
plan. Then came the fall of Adam and Eve which
opened the way for all forms of sickness to
manifest in our lives. Miscarriage occurs due to a
sickness, disease or complication in the mother or
baby, not because of the "will" of God. Just
because we live in a fallen world doesn't mean that
God has changed. His Word and character always
remain the same (Mal
3:6). He will NEVER "will" us
to miscarry or to bear sick children.
We need to understand that we can't use our
personal experiences to measure God's Word. We also
shouldn't blame Him when we don't understand why a
miscarriage occurred. The Bible tells us that God
gives life not takes life. God is bound by His
Word, He will not alter His promises.
Numbers
23:19 says that
"God
is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man,
that he should change his mind. Does he speak and
then not act? Does he promise and not
fulfill?" If we say that it was
God's will that we miscarried, we are accusing him
of killing our baby by withholding the healing
blood of Jesus and by breaking the promises in His
Word. There are many reasons for not receiving
healing, and many circumstances that hinder us from
receiving a miracle, but none are because God
decided to break His Word. God is sovereign in that
He can do what He wants to do when He wants to do
it, but He has made a choice to bind Himself by His
Word. In other words He is sovereign only outside
the bounds of His Word because within His Word He
is bound.
Prayer Cover
God doesn't expect you to battle on your own. There
are times when we all feel spiritually, physically
and emotionally weak and we need the support of
others to help us through. On many occasions Julie
and I have been able to intercede for couples
threatened with miscarriage. We carried them in
prayer until they felt strong enough to stand for
themselves. If you can find someone who will stand
and agree with you in prayer during your pregnancy,
they will be able to intercede for you if you are
threatened with miscarriage.
We have ministered to several women who were
threatened with miscarriage and losing their baby
seemed inevitable. Some were even told by medical
professionals there was nothing they could do,
there was no hope. God provided a miracle for many
of these women and they now have healthy children.
One of these women was threatened with miscarriage
three times within the first five months of her
pregnancy. During the second time, her doctor had
given her a sixty percent chance of losing the
baby. By the third time she had built up her faith
and she knew in her heart her baby was safe. She
had spent time in prayer and even though she only
had a forty percent chance of keeping her baby, God
overcame those odds and intervened. She now has a
beautiful little girl.
When Julie and I pray over pregnant women we pray
for a hedge of protection around their womb and we
plead the blood of Jesus over their body and their
baby. I don't want these prayer points to sound
like a "method" for protection from miscarriage
because God's Word is enough. However, some women
have trouble in certain areas and praying for
specifics is necessary. Ask the Holy Spirit to
highlight what needs to be covered in your
pregnancy. He will teach you how to pray
effectively.
Another testimony is from a woman who is a
non-Christian. She had already experienced three
miscarriages. We shared with her the power of
prayer and gave her the Scripture;
Exodus23:25-26.
She had
been trying for some time to conceive and the month
she claimed this Scripture, she conceived. However,
a few weeks into the pregnancy, the familiar
period-like cramping and bleeding, another
miscarriage, had begun. This time she turned to
God. She told us she reminded God His Word was true
and then confessed "NO, I AM NOT GOING TO
MISCARRY!" She spent the next half hour in prayer
quoting this verse and all the cramping and
bleeding stopped. Talk about blind faith! If a
non-Christian can grasp the Word of God and receive
a miracle, then how much more can we as believers!
She told us she knew this happened because of
prayer and the power of God. This miracle was also
accredited to her giving God the glory for her
pregnancy and acknowledging He was the creator thus
giving Him control over her circumstances. This
woman had no knowledge on the power of prayer or
how to pray. All she did was cry out to God with
faith, stood on His Word and He answered her. It is
important to note that the first part of this
Scripture reads, "You shall worship the Lord your
God....". Anyone can turn to God and He will heal
them but they also need to have a relationship with
Him. Therefore, when a non-Christian experiences
the healing power of God it doesn’t bring full
glory to Him unless they then meet their healer!
Now all of these women we have shared with you
could have accepted the natural course of events
but they fought back and did not lose their babies.
It was not God's "will" for them to lose their
children. There was a complication, they prayed and
God healed them. Why some women still miscarry we
will never know. What we do know is that God is
able to heal miscarriage regardless of the
circumstances.
What To Do In The Event Of A Threatened
Miscarriage
Our God is a healing God and is able to heal
miscarriage. We have witnessed this many times even
when all odds were stacked against the survival of
the baby. If symptoms of miscarriage begin it’s not
over yet! You don't have to accept it and wait for
the natural course of events to take place. In
these times you need to make the decision to rise
up in your spirit and stand on God's Word, fight
for healing and claim what belongs to you.
Sometimes that's easy and other times it's a
battle. Instead of dwelling on why this happens
focus on changing your circumstances by turning to
God and His healing power. An impossible situation
for you is simply an opportunity for God!!
Job 22:27-28 You
will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you
will fulfill your vows. What you decide on will be
done, and light will shine on your
ways.
It's always important to pray for wisdom in these
situations. Depending on the severity of the
bleeding and cramping you may need to go to the
hospital and request an ultrasound scan to make
sure that your baby is still alive. If your baby
has died a miscarriage will be inevitable – short
of a miracle!
While the cause and symptoms of miscarriage are
physical, any fear or oppression is spiritual. You
have NOT been given a spirit of fear but one of
power, a sound mind and self-control
(2
Tim 1:7).
Fear will
need to be the first thing that you overcome. Fear
disables faith, which will hinder your ability to
pray effectively. Remember not to go by feelings. I
know from my own experiences that at times I have
felt like its too hard to rise up and fight. I have
felt spiritually, physically and emotionally weak.
If this is what you feel then remember that you are
more than a conqueror (Rom
8:37), and greater is Jesus
who is in you than our enemy who is in the
world (1
John 4:4). And finally that you
can do all things because of the strength of
Christ (Phil
4:13).
You need to
press through and choose to believe what God says
regardless of how you feel at that time.
I have included the guide on the following page to
keep you focused on God and not your symptoms. When
you bring God into your circumstances you are
allowing Him control in the situation. Whatever you
focus on will have a hold and power over you
(especially your mind). So, allow God the control
not your circumstances. God is all-powerful to
rescue you in any circumstance and time of need.
In the event of a threatened miscarriage your
circumstances might look disheartening, but keep
praying and believing Him for your miracle for
NOTHING is impossible for Him!! With each of these
steps use Scripture to back up your prayers (most
of which are found in this book). You can also use
this in any crisis situation during your pregnancy,
labor and delivery.
Guide To Help in a Crisis
1)
DON'T PANIC! All is not lost. Do not
be ruled by fear. Fear will disable you every
time!! Remember fear disables, faith enables. Pray
for peace and wisdom. Renew your mind and gain
self-control. Guard your mind because you may be
vulnerable. Ask God for a revelation in your spirit
that you will not lose your baby.
2)
THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. You are not on your
own. Rely on God's strength and ability.
2
Chr20:15 For
the battle is not yours but God's.
Due
20:4 For
the Lord your God is the one who goes "with you" to
"fight for you" against your enemies (or
circumstances) to give you
"victory".
3)
MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION. What do you want to
have happen? Don’t accept the natural course of
events and hope for the best make a conscious
decision to fight! (See "Perseverance and
Breakthrough".)
Job
22:27-28 What
you decide on will be done, and light will shine on
your ways.
4)
PRAY - USE SCRIPTURE. Ask God to intervene,
pray for healing and command that you will not
miscarry in Jesus' name. Cover yourself and your
unborn baby with the full armor of God and the
blood of Jesus (See ‘The Armor of God’ and "The
Power Of Your Words"). Ask God to place a hedge of
protection around your womb to protect your baby
from all harm. Remember: by Jesus' stripes you have
been healed! Also ask God to cover your baby with
peace and for Him to keep forming and creating your
baby perfectly without ANY complications,
abnormalities, defects or diseases and that He
places your baby in the correct position on your
uterine wall.
5)
PRAYER COVER. Notify your husband
and pray in agreement. Also contact any support
people who will also agree and intercede for you by
covering you in prayer.
6)
BIND THE DEVIL. What you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, what you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven (Mat
18:18). Take control from the
devil and give it back to God. Satan is to release
you in Jesus' name. Resist him and he must flee
from you. (James
4:7).
7)
WATCH YOUR CONFESSION. Speak over your
circumstance and confess a positive outcome.
Remember Jesus said speak to your mountains not
about them.
8)
TRUST GOD. Lean not on your own
understanding (Prov.
3:5-6).
Let your
faith take over, keep confessing
Scripture
to renew your mind and to build up your faith. Just
do the best you can and let God do the rest.
9)
PRAY FOR PEACE. Peace comes when we
put our trust in God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all
understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus (Phil
4:6).
11)
THANK GOD. Give God the glory,
and ask that His will be done in regard to your
health and the safety of your unborn baby.
12)
MEDICAL HELP. You should call your
doctor or hospital for advice. Be careful to guard
your mind over any negative words they may speak
over you. Remember, God is the master physician!
13)
RELAX. Lie down and put your
feet up, don't over do things.
14)
GOD LOVES YOU. Regardless of what
you go through God's love is always there for you.
Heb 13:5 (AMP)......For
God Himself has said I will not in any way fail
you, nor give you up, nor leave you without
support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any
degree leave you helpless, nor forsake, nor let you
down, relax my hold on you. Assuredly not!