I had always heard lessons about how parents should pray for their children Four years ago I did not have any child, but we were trying, unsuccessfully. At first we were trying to time the pregnancy for a certain month, but after a while it became a “just go for it” situation.

My wife and I had picked names for our potential children when we first got married, and so it was three years ago that it sunk in that I could pray for my future child, by name, even though he or she was not born, or even conceived, yet. I began to pray for God to bring us Daniel and/or Sophia. Shortly thereafter, my wife became pregnant with Sophia.

I believe in prayer. Sure, my wife and I still had to get together, but I had not been praying for an immaculate conception. Prayer does not necessarily take away the need for us to act, but that does not mean that prayer does not change things. Actually, it is not so much that I believe in prayer, but that I believe in a God that answers prayer.