Is it wrong for couples to pray against pregnancy?

It's a question today from Chelsea in North Carolina.

Pastor John, thank you so much for all that you and the DesiringGod.org team do online.

My question, do you think it is sinful for me to pray to not give pregnant?

I love my children, but I don't think I can handle anymore right now.

My husband says it's not a sin, but I feel so selfish praying this prayer, especially since

God has closed my closest friend's womb.

Is it biblically sound to even pray to God to close my womb for a season?

My short answer is that it may be biblically sound to want a limited number of children

if your motives are informed by the priorities of Christ and the Scriptures.

I know some would say, well, that's contradictory because it's precisely the priorities of

Christ and the Scriptures that tell us not to limit the number of children we have.

They're a blessing for goodness sake.

Why would you do that?

Well, let me try to show you how I'm thinking and then you can decide whether it's contradictory

or not.

In Genesis chapter 2 verse 18, God said, it is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make him help or fit for him.

So not good to be alone.

Then verse 24 says, therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to

his wife and they become one flesh and back in Genesis 1, 28.

He says, be fruitful to this couple, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

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