This question always puts a scratch on my youth’s head whenever they eat.Why do we need to pray when we eat?
Why do we pray when we eat together but fail to do so when we eat alone or with our family?
How should we pray? Should we always pray before eating?
Do Christians the world over pray before they eat?
Should we limit our prayer to what we are about to eat?
What if the meal was prepared by a really bad cook?
Are there any settings in which prayer would be inappropriate?
Does it depend on whether or not we are hosting the meal as a Christian event?
What if we’re in the company of non-believers?
Do we take into consideration the ratio of Christians to non-Christians gathered at the table? What if I’m the only Christian at the table?
Is it a cultural thing? Do we pray before a Chinese wedding dinner?
These may seem like silly questions, but you know you've asked them all at one point in your life.I can't think of any books dedicated to this subject and I haven't heard any sermons about it.
Some of you are probably thinking, “Of course we should pray when we eat! This is not even a topic to debate!” and others may simple say, “Whatever”. Well, ask yourself why you don’t pray when you go out for ice cream. Does it depend on the quantity of food you are about to consume? Or is it only required at designated mealtimes?
Some of you may not think it’s a big deal at all. If that's the case, then what example are you setting for your children if you sometimes feel like praying before you eat and sometimes you don’t?
This issue may not be as important as the debate over the doctrines of grace, salvation, and baptism of the Spirit or the importance of sound biblical preaching in our churches. But I am curious to know your thoughts on the matter. So, what do you think?
As Christian, we are not performing rituals for ritual’s sake. There is a spiritual significance for water baptism, Holy Communion and other ordinances of the church.
While there are numerous passages in scripture that instructs us to “give thanks”, there is not a single command telling us that this must occur before meals. The closest we have to a command are the examples of Christ saying a blessing or giving thanks when he fed the 5,000 (Matther 14:19), when he fed the 4,000 (Matthew 15:36), and when he broke bread with the disciples in the upper room (Matthew 26:27).
20 comments:
Why no one comment here? Do you pray before eating? or you don't pray before eating?
I also want to ask...
What if I pray for every bite? Even eat a small jelly and drink Milo also I pray.
Don't know when did it started and I didn't notice until I read this blog.
i know we must pray be4 we eat..
but i nvr knew why.
mike, can explain?
isn't the answer so simple? A christian should pray all the time not just when they eat?
You confuse them like mad then don't give answer.Why dont you give there poor lads an answer.
But to the poor guys who are obviously abused by Mike hehehhe, prayer is not a ritual or a practice. Its a communication with God. Therefore we communicate with God in everything. The tradition of thanking God for the food really comes from the Lord prayer 'give us this day our daily bread'.
It would seem that the whole problem is that people make Christianity a ritual not a lifestyle so you will ask these questions.
Sometimes its like asking why do we breathe? Because it is something we do naturally. So being thankful to God and praying is just natural as even when people gives gifts we thank them. We recognize that God is the provider of what we have each time we pray for our food. Since its a gift from Him should't we give thanks?
I'm happy you made them think about this but it alarms me that Christians don't know why they pray.
Dear Leon,
As usual, I woud disagree with you that (1) I am confusing them like mad and (2) the answer to this blog is so simple that every Christian is to pray all the time and not just when they eat.
Confusion is when I make them unable to understand or making the simple things to complicated. What I'm just a catalyst to help them think of why they do what they do as Christian. It's a reflection on ourselves.
Although I agree with you that every Christian should pray, my qualm is "why pray before a meal" or "why pray for a meal" at all? Do we pray for the Coke or Cabbury(Leon don't like chocolate) we consume? Do we give thanks for every breath that we take? Do we pray whenever we drive for safe journey (even if it takes only 30 second drive)? Did we give thanks every time we make a SMS or reply to a blog?
My question is not whether Christian should pray. My queation is "WHY pray before a meal". then we have to know "how to pray for a meal" since there are so many people writing books on "how to pray for whatever occasion". Thereafter, we need to know "to what extend we pray for that meal"?
Hey, I could write a thesis on this, ya?
I guess its that way we live. I would say that we should pray for everything even the little things. But we don't need to see prayer as a bowing of heads and folding of hands. Its the way we comunicate with God
The way we just turn our attention for a brief mili-second to think of who and where these things really come from and be thankful for it. Living our life like we are in constant prayer is the key and an art.
Each person has the right to choose their best way of communication, whether it be an elaborate prayer or just a simple thought.
finally I get to say something after you enabled the option of letting strangers leave their comments.
Hi Mikey and all...
Nevermind if you don't know me...
Now to answer to your question...
For me, it's just like why you say Hallelujah/Praise the Lord/Thank God when someone tells a good news that means to the listener or speaker or both. You thank God for it, because it means something to you.
So, the scenario is such: you have food on your table. The question: Will you thank God for it?
But really, unless it really means something to you to have your basic necessity (food) met, don't pray.
If you insist on praying despite your heart's motive, then you're just performing a ritual.
That's just what I thought. Conclusion: Pray for the food because you mean to thank God from the your heart. It's as simple as saying "Thank you Jesus for the food!" Just a like normal exclamation of "Hallelujah"/"Praise the Lord"!!!
err.. so many opinions..
so who to listen to?
Dear Proseng,
You don't have to listen to anyone. Just read about their comments and comment on their comments. This blog is meant to stir healthy and meaningful discussion in ordert to challenge our thinking. It excercises our brain muscle.
Dear Karl,
I do agree that praying before a meal is out of a gratitude of thanksgiving, but my question is this "is it a must or a nescessity doeending on the situation?".
Why we pray coorperately when we are ina Christian wedding but not when we have dinner when we are at home?
I believe many would have the habit of thanksgiving prayer before a meal, but how many really mean what they prayer deep down in their heart? In reality, how many of us really pray out of a deep conviction of thanksgiving when we pray for the meal? Many of times we pray a simple prayer during a Christian fellowship out of ritual. People will automatically ask the pastor to pray for the blessing of the food; to the extend of snactifying the food or cleaning the food.
It is the inconsistency and irregularity of prayer before the meal that I'm questioning, not the motive alone.
yupe it is necessary to thank God for the food/drink we have..He provides everything for us.=) normally we tend to pray for the main meals..but forgot about the snacks(even sweets) that we buy.
it's great if we could be able to thank God for everything we consumed. that's why we need to practice and remember it, in order to develope a heart of thanksgiving. the prayer doesn't need to we long..just simple breath prayers is good enough.=D
just my opinion. haha.. i always forget to pray for the snacks i put into my mouth.=.="
Good question. Let me throw it to my Life Group and hopefully could come back with some creative answers.. hahaha...
err~~ i think we muz pray b4 we
eat coz God created all things
so we should thank God for
everything lo~~
but is it we should pray every single bite? O.o
Dear Grace,
Did you pray everytime you eat? Why? Does it matter whether we pray or not?
i do pray when dinner and lunch
but sometimes will forget to pray and straight eat xD
i think we nid to pray but God will angry if we din pray b4 eat? O.o
haha.. Grace: Will He? :)
Dear Grace,
You mean God will actually get angry if you don't pray when we eat? Can you tell me more about this? Like where is it found in the Bible that says this?
i dono God will angry or not...
tat's why i ask xD
will God angry Ps Mike? O.o
consider sin against God or not ar? ~~
I don't think it's about praying before meals but rather the ideal of praying. The closest thing in 6 versions of the bible I have found is this and even the bible does not state the requisite for it.
The Things That Defile
MATTHEW 15 Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem—scribes and Pharisees—saying, 2 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' 3 And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? 4 for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother—let him die the death; 5 but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering 'is' whatever thou mayest be profited by me;— 6 and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition. 7 'Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people doth draw nigh to Me with their mouth, and with the lips it doth honour Me, but their heart is far off from Me; 9 and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings—commands of men.'
1Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
2Samuel 22:50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
2Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
I think that even if you pray for EVERY bite you eat, but don't really believe it in your heart, then it's really a vain repetition, and waste of time. You are just doing it for show. If you don't really believe then it is more harmful to those around you. It's giving a false example of true Christianity.
Post a Comment