Scripture gives a model in one line. When Hannah prayed for a child and received one, her prayer afterwards was not a request but thanks: “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition.”
Historical Context
Many Catholic families mark three days for a child, not one: her birthday, the anniversary of her baptism, and the feast day of the saint she is named for. If her birthday prayer is the only one she hears all year, though, make it count.
A Birthday Prayer for My Daughter
Lord, thank you for my daughter.
Thank you for every year you have given her,
and for the person she is becoming.
Keep her safe this year, and keep her kind.
Give her friends who are good for her,
courage when she needs it,
and a heart that always knows its way home to you.
Amen.
A Short Blessing for Her Birthday Card
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. Happy birthday. I thank God for you every day.
The first sentence is the ancient priestly blessing from Numbers 6, the one Aaron’s sons spoke over Israel. It has been said over children for three thousand years.
For a Little Girl’s Birthday
Thank you, God, for making her.
Thank you for her laugh, her questions and her hugs.
Help her grow strong and happy and good.
Keep your angels around her all year long.
Amen.
For a Teenage Daughter
Lord, she is growing up faster than I am ready for.
Guard her heart this year.
Give her wisdom in her friendships and courage to be herself.
Keep her talking to me, and talking to you.
And help me let her grow.
Amen.
For a Grown Daughter
Lord, she is a woman now, with her own life and her own worries.
Bless her work, her home and the people she loves.
Where she is carrying something heavy, help her carry it.
Thank you that I still get to be her mother.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- Before the candles are lit, aloud with the family.
- Written inside her birthday card.
- Over her while she sleeps, the night before.
- On the anniversary of her baptism.
- On the feast day of the saint she is named for.
Scripture Connection
“For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.” — 1 Samuel 1:27
Hannah said this when she brought her son to the temple and gave him back to God. Every birthday is a small version of the same thing: thanks for the child you were given, and trust as you hand another year of her life to God.
Related prayers
For her brother, see the Birthday Prayer for Son. For a niece, the Prayer for My Niece, and for a daughter’s wedding day, the Mother of the Bride Prayer.