Prayer Before Labor

Lord God Almighty! The hour of my labor is now at hand. I come to Thee and pray, O leave me not! O be with me, give me strength to labor, and deliver me graciously. Lighten the pains of travail which Thou hast laid upon woman. Thou didst impose these pains upon Eve and her daughters at the same time that Thou didst mercifully promise to send Jesus, the seed of the woman and the Redeemer of men. Therefore I regard the pains which I am called on to suffer, not as the punishment of an angry Judge, but as the chastisement of a loving and reconciled Father, to remind me of the Fall, and at the same time to remind me of my reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ. O strong and almighty God, help me. In Thee is my help, toward Thee is my desire. My God, I trust in Thee; let me not be put to shame. Make haste to help me, O Lord, my Help. O Jesus, who didst become man, I pray Thee, have mercy on me for the sake of Thy holy birth and incarnation. Help me to pass through this hour, and deliver me. O blessed Holy Spirit, remain in my heart, and cry, Abba, Father. Bear witness with my Spirit that even in the midst of my pains I am still a child of God. O Thou Holy Trinity, help me, and have mercy upon me. Amen.