Years ago, I read a book that affected my view of childbirth before my husband and me had children. This book was called Supernatural Childbirth, and the idea behind this doctrine was that a woman could use the Word of God in such a way to overcome the issues in conception, pregnancy, labor, and delivery of children. Pregnancies would be free of nausea, morning sickness, and any type of discomfort or depression. Labor and delivery would be pain free and trauma free. Everything that Jesus did on the cross for us to live and to walk in victory included a pain free and easy childbirth, according to this book.

I remember reading that book and believing everything it said. I declared out of my mouth that my body would line up with God’s Word, and it would carry a child without issue. I believed that I would not need pain medicine or that I would need any surgical intervention. My pregnancy was fairly uneventful, except for the diagnosis of gestational diabetes, which I internally rebuked but did manage dietarily. I had special anointed music playing in my hospital room the day our daughter was born, and I was praying and using my faith to believe for a pain free childbirth. To my dismay, labor and delivery did not progress as I had decreed and declared; I had to have a c-section. However, I soon focused on our beautiful daughter that God had placed in our loving care. God did grace me in my c-section, and I was up and back on the go fairly quickly. My second pregnancy and c-section several years later were a different story, but so was my understanding of prayer and God’s sovereignty in childbirth.

For those who are familiar with this belief or even this book, you may recognize the following teachings affiliated with the belief of pain free childbirth:

Though God is sovereign, he does not ordain pain or suffering.

Since Jesus has claimed the victory, we have all authority over the enemy. Because of that authority, we can take authority over the devil in our conception, pregnancy, and delivery so that he does not torment us or cause pain and suffering, which is not living God’s best in this world.

Jesus told us to pray on earth as it is in heaven, and since the Kingdom of God is within us, we need to use our faith to live in this potential.

Jesus died so that we can have every blessing here and now. This includes divine health and prosperity. A supernatural childbirth free of pain and complications is included in this promise.

Refuse to partner with the enemy and to believe his lies. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came to give life and life more abundantly. Refuse to partner with a negative doctor’s report. Doing so only gives power to those things. Refuse to agree or believe the negative confession of family members and friends. Their words have the power to damage your promise. Guard your words. They contain power to create death or life, according to Proverbs 18:21.

This doctrine finds its roots in the Word of Faith. The author of this book acknowledges that her belief in a supernatural childbirth originated at a Super Sunday gathering at Kenneth Copeland’s church where she was in attendance. According to the author, it was in this service that Copeland prophesied, “The Lord says, ‘There are ladies in here now who are expecting a baby and others who want to have babies. If you’ll use my Word and stand on my Word, you’ll have those babies supernaturally without pain. The doctors and nurses and medical personnel will be astounded and amazed at the way you come through this delivery. It will be something they haven’t seen before. And after they see with their medical eyes what you have done- that yes, it is true, they have witnessed it- then you can tell them that God did it. It will be a testimony to them.”

Kenneth Hagin, known as the father of the Word of Faith, stated the following in his teaching on faith, “Your confession needs to agree with Scripture rather than the devil or the report of the world. Wrong confession affirms the supremacy of Satan. Do not confess fear, resist it. Do not confess doubt, resist it. Do not confess sickness, confess healing. Faith’s confession creates realities.” Hagin also said, “You have to say with your mouth what you believe in your heart if the Word is to work for you.”

Why is this problematic? Why can we not declare a pain free childbirth because of the finished work on the cross? We cannot claim this because Scripture does not promise us a pain free childbirth. It does not promise that we can have what we say and what we want. These are abuses and misinterpretations of God’s holy Word. It attempts to deny God’s sovereignty while elevating our own. The Word of Faith places faith in our faith and in our words rather than in God who is the object of our faith. Our hope is in Him to save us and to give us the promise of eternal life. In this world where we will have tribulation and suffering, we will have pain and sorrow, but we can rest and rejoice in His glorious promises of eternity with Him. When we suffer in whatever capacity, we can fix our mind and our heart on the Lord and what His Word says about Him and His eternal promises. Our hope is in Him and not in a certain outcome in our lives.

Let me say with gentleness yet firmness that suffering is despised in the Word of Faith teaching. It is viewed as not living God’s best and not having enough faith for His perceived promises that many claim to be for now, not in eternity with Him. No one wants to suffer, including those of us who have come out of this type of mindset and teaching. It is a logical fallacy to say that those who speak of suffering simply want to suffer. Stating what Scripture explicitly says will happen in this world is not doubting God’s best or desiring to suffer. On the contrary, we reside as sojourners in a fallen world where we are assured we will endure various hardships. We want to suffer well while in this world so that we can testify of God’s sovereignty, His goodness, His mercy, His kindness, His grace and His glory. It is perplexing how we can be content in Jesus suffering the gruesome penalty for our sins in His crushing and crucifixion yet have a disdain for any amount of pain or trial as a professing Christian. I have heard people say that a perfect gift cannot come in a package of suffering. To say such a thing is to miss Jesus Christ altogether.

Suffering is within the sovereignty of God, and I rejoice with women who have had easy pregnancies and labors, and I rejoice with women and even weep with women who have not. Regardless, it does not change who God is, and it does not change the gift of motherhood and of having children that God places in our care. My concern with these types of teachings surrounding supernatural childbirth is that it brings unnecessary burdens upon women, and it displaces our understanding of faith according to the Word of God and even the truth according to Scripture in the proper context.

Be encouraged to know that nothing passes out of His hands without His knowledge, or His will being done. There is great comfort in His sovereignty, even through tears and trials. There is great comfort found in the Lord in a routine birth, and there is great comfort found in the Lord in a c-section. All of us can attest to God’s goodness and grace in each of our pregnancies and deliveries, no matter the outcome and the process, and we rejoice and uphold that He is sovereign over all things. Find rest and comfort in the supernatural God of the universe who is sovereign, even in your pain and suffering.

Listen to this episode discussing the teaching of supernatural childbirth versus sovereign childbirth: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: Sovereign Childbirth- A Biblical Response to the Teaching of Supernatural Childbirth on Apple Podcasts