Praying Before Eating - Tradition or Commandment? (church, Deuteronomy, believers)
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That is a good question and I for one do it because I respect God and pray over my food due to not really knowing what could be in it. There are so many people who are getting sick because of the food. Plus I say a prayer because I am thankful that I have food to eat, there are so many people who are dieing because they don't have food to eat.
Jesus prayed to give us an example to follow by.
I love your answer Miss Shawn. I know some who teach that praying over food is not only for thanking God for sustenance, but also asking his blessing over the actual food itself, which, unfortunately may be contaminated with who knows what. That is an excellent reason to pray over food (which I don't always do) - it is not a custom in our family except for at holidays. Not that I don't ever privately/silently say thanks to God for my food an all that I have.
There is nothing in the Bible that says to pray before eating, but we do it, as others have written, because we are following Messiah's example.
However, there is a command in the Bible to give thanks AFTER we eat, and Messiah, as a good Jew, would have been taught to do so from childhood and would have continued throughout His life, because He fulfilled (did) all the commands.
We don't do it on a regular basis. Growing up, it was forced on me. My mom couldn't put a tic-tac in her mouth without blessing it! And then the public spectacle we were forced to put up with in restaurants - it all felt more like her personal show, an embarassment, and then a way to control us. She would put dinner on the table, then leave and make us wait for about 5 minutes, sitting there staring at the food. Of course if you ate one bite, you got smacked. One time when we'd come home from the grocery store and my mom opened the back of the minivan where all the groceries were, I got an idea. I asked my mom to just pray over all the food right there and get it over with rather than making us sit there and wait at every meal. She wasn't amused, and I got smacked! I always got the idea that she thought missing one prayer before eating food was a one way ticket to hell.
I figure you can offer thanks in prayer other times during that day, or even at meals, and keep it to yourself. I'm very leery of people who make a display of prayer.
Wow - what a smart kid you were, thinking your mom could just go ahead and bless the food while it was in the back of the mini-van - that is so cute! I agree with you that I feel like it can become a public show, or if it is just done out of habit, not particularly sincere. God knows my heart - I'm sure he would not want me to pray by rote out of habit. The vast majority of my prayer takes place inside my heart - quietly.
What does the Bible say? I don't know about you guys, but I always look to the Word as the final authority in these matters. There is only one post here where someone mentioned the word of God. That was 1 Thessalonians 5:18. While I agree with that passage, I do not think that it is one that necessarily encourages us to pray aloud. I talk to God and give thanks all throughout the day in my own mind. Matthew 6:5-8 says, "Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They've got their reward! But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you pray, don't babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they'll be heard for their many words. Don't be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him."
I have never picked up the habit of praying aloud before meals; however, I have always prayed silently to myself during the first few bites of my meal. It seems to come naturally as the tastes and textures of the food I am eating seem to put me into an immediate spirit of gratitude. I've never been sure whether that is "right" or "wrong", but it has just been something that I have done since I have come to know Christ.
But I do want to be sure of whether what I am doing is holy or unholy. Just yesterday, I asked myself why I don't just see if Jesus and the apostles prayed before eating at the last supper. It is amazing that it has taken so long for this to occur to me. When I look in Matthew 26, in regards to the scene at the last supper, I see nothing within the scripture that indicates that they prayed before they ate. In fact, Jesus did not even bless the bread until after they had already been eating. Matthew 26:26 says, "As they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take and eat it; this is My body."
I'll let the Holy Spirit convict each of you how he will on this matter, but I can definitely say that I am convinced that praying aloud before a meal is a tradition of men and is not something that is holy unto the Lord.
Great post. Jesus and his disciples prayed AS they were eating. Neat. There is (IMO) no place where one cannot pray. It is an inward practice. And on occasion, an outward practice in small groups.
Wow - what a smart kid you were, thinking your mom could just go ahead and bless the food while it was in the back of the mini-van - that is so cute! I agree with you that I feel like it can become a public show, or if it is just done out of habit, not particularly sincere. God knows my heart - I'm sure he would not want me to pray by rote out of habit. The vast majority of my prayer takes place inside my heart - quietly.
Smart... or maybe more smart-alec! I don't know, I think my mom ruined the mealtime prayer for me as a kid. I save prayer usually for before falling asleep and upon waking up, and it's personal and in my head. Now that we have kids (2 year olds) I'm wondering if I need to teach them to pray before meals. My parents don't live near us, so it's not like they're here wondering why we haven't taught them this tradition. I keep meaning to look up a nice, simple little prayer for kids and maybe we'll do it now and then so they get used to it.
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I believe The Lord does have a commandment for all
of His Children to pray with thanksgiving about there
food before eating it.
God's Holy Word says that all meat is good for food to eat,
but it is only sanctified for a Believing Christians by
The Holy Word Of God and PRAYER.
If food is not Prayed over with thanksgiving then it is not sanctified according to God's Holy Word and should not be eaten ! ! !
1Tm:4:1: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2: Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3: Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4: For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused,if it be received with thanksgiving: 5: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. 6: If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
7: But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
8: For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Smart... or maybe more smart-alec! I don't know, I think my mom ruined the mealtime prayer for me as a kid. I save prayer usually for before falling asleep and upon waking up, and it's personal and in my head. Now that we have kids (2 year olds) I'm wondering if I need to teach them to pray before meals. My parents don't live near us, so it's not like they're here wondering why we haven't taught them this tradition. I keep meaning to look up a nice, simple little prayer for kids and maybe we'll do it now and then so they get used to it.
I used to encourage a prayer before meals when my children were younger. But since my husband never took the lead in that practice, I never made it a "rule". I'm like you - most of my prayers are silent (in my head). God is Spirit, after all. However, I do sing out loud to the Lord
The Lord God is the creator of all life and we go and take a life to consume we respect the Lord God who own all life of the earth and pray for a blessing of the Food he created and he does accept and have a plan for all the plants and animals that man comsumes .... In the burnt offering of goats and bulls people sacrifice and prayed of in Moses and Aaron temple were this as a point of contact with the Lord in their worship to the Lord God is based of Praying Grace on food . a point of Contact with the Lord God of Life.........
Smart... or maybe more smart-alec! I don't know, I think my mom ruined the mealtime prayer for me as a kid. I save prayer usually for before falling asleep and upon waking up, and it's personal and in my head. Now that we have kids (2 year olds) I'm wondering if I need to teach them to pray before meals. My parents don't live near us, so it's not like they're here wondering why we haven't taught them this tradition. I keep meaning to look up a nice, simple little prayer for kids and maybe we'll do it now and then so they get used to it.
Thank you God, for this day, and this food, and everything. In Jesus Christ name...Amen. The Blessings of The Eternal One bring you joy...
It is not a formal commandment, but if you think carefully about it.......We should gives thanks to God for ALL THINGS......Because all that we have including our very breath comes from God........We can never thank Him enough: Especially for Salvation thru Jesus Christ
Amen.... !!!
I so believe that prayer is not a strict command or a tradition to be performed but rather that...... PRAYER is a wonderful privilege and the very heart of the believer in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Spirit most definitely brings into the heart the hunger to pray (communing) with our Lord in all things, praying without ceasing (I Thess.5:17) and also we are encouraged... "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Phil.4:6-7)
Prayer is a beautiful and a constant ongoing conversation with our God, Lord and Savior..... we should without hesitation of thought, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Col.4:2), whether it be a meal, or whatever in our lives !
Praise our Lord that whatever the prayer is He hears us.... "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." (I Peter 3:12)!
God Bless All !
********************
Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
I Timothy 4:4-6 4. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5. for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. 6. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for EVERYONE — I Timothy 2:1
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