If you’re looking to reassess your relationship with food and add some prayer to your daily consumption, then let’s talk about how we should treat our meals and read through 5 prayers for food.
“Dear Lord, thank you for the food that we’re about to receive for the nourishment of our bodies. Christ’s sake. Our Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.” I’ve said those lines countless times while sitting at the kitchen table or inside a restaurant with my family. All five of us speak in unison as we clasp hands before finally releasing to start chowing down on our meal. Food was appreciated inside my household, and every meal, at least those we ate together, was always preceded by prayer.
While that custom of praying before eating became a habit I carried into adulthood, I didn’t always understand why I prayed beforehand. I just did. But when I thought more about the why, there was nothing surprising I learned.
As a society, we hold food in high esteem. We talk about food, take pictures of it, draw pictures, critique it, we even sing about food. Let’s not forget the onslaught of commercials or the overly dramatized cooking shows.
The Bible talks about food too, how our consumption should honor our temples and honor God. We learn that animals and plants are meant to be sustenance for us. We learn that God wants us to give thanks for what we eat.
With all that going on, why would we not pray about food?
If you’re looking to reassess your relationship with food and add some prayer to your daily consumption, then let’s talk about how we should treat our meals and read through 5 prayers for food.
How Should We Treat Food?
Let’s start with this question - as Christians, how should we treat food? There are four points to highlight.
1. As a necessity.
“Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food,” and God will do away with both of them.” (1 Corinthians 6:13)
We’re human. We need to eat, we need to drink. Food is not meant to be avoided but taken, eaten, and drunk. God has provided resources to satisfy our hunger and thirst. Avoiding food is to avoid what He has provided and only leads to the detriment of our well-being, physically and otherwise.
2. With moderation.
“And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18)
Though food is a necessity, we should strive not to overindulge. No matter how tasty, sugary, or sweet. We should eat to the point of being content and cease. This is why buffets become a snare for people. They encourage us to eat as much as we want while we go in with the logic of “getting your money’s worth.” If we moderate how much we eat and what, in turn, we will moderate how much we pay for food, which will usually translate into avoiding places of temptation like buffets.
3. With gratitude.
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)
Of all the things God calls us to be thankful for, food has not been left off of the list. In fact, when Jesus talks about God providing for our needs, food is one idea that gets cited. He knows just how much food is a necessity and how much we worry when we fear that necessity won’t be met.
4. With purpose.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Jokingly, some of us consider ourselves to be bottomless pits, but in reality, we just like to eat. The high that comes with eating is in itself not bad. Sin emerges when our reasons for eating are wrongly motivated, such as addiction or treating food however peer pressure demands.
When Should We Pray?
Should I pray before I eat?
Yes! Prayer is how we communicate with God, and one way we can give thanks. In turn, giving thanks helps us find contentment with what we have and reminds us that God provides.
Should I pray before I eat if I’m with nonbelievers?
Scripture calls us to honor God in everything we do. If you normally pray before a meal, but decide not to because of your company, what’s your motivation? We do ourselves a disservice by denying Christ in such moments.
Should I pray if I am just snacking?
Why not? Even if your prayer is just a quick, “Thank you, Lord.” There’s reason to be grateful for our snacks, not just our meals.
5 Prayers for Food
Prayer for Breakfast
God, thank you for waking me up this morning, and thank you for this food to eat! May it provide me with nourishment as I start my day.
Prayer for Lunch
Lord, thank you for this time to both connect with you and break from the busyness of today. Thank you for this food I’m planning to eat. May it provide me with a moment of rest and rejuvenation before I return to the tasks at hand. Thank you, Lord. Amen.
Prayer for Dinner
Lord, thank you for bringing me through this day and into this moment. I’m grateful for the meal before me and all the hands that helped prepare it. May I eat now gratefully and in your presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Quick Prayer for Any Meal
Father, thank you for this meal and all that went into preparing it. I gratefully say, Amen.
Prayer for Snack
God, thank you for this quick bite to eat!
Conclusion
That prayer I rehearsed countless times with my family is what we still say today, whether behind closed doors or in public. They showed me how to appreciate the food God provides, and one day I hope to instill such values in my own family. In the meantime, I aim not to obsess over gratitude in those moments where I forget or don’t say thanks for a snack. Rather, I focus on knowing that more than the words that come out of my mouth or are spoken in my head, what’s most revealing is the posture of my heart.
That and the rumbling of my stomach.
Photo Credit: Wavebreakmedia
Get in touch at aarondanthony.com and check out his short story “Serenity.”
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