How To Pray Before Eating

Whenever we receive something, we always thank the person who gave it to us. In the same way, whether it comes from money out of our pockets or we are gifted by someone who blessed us, whatever food we eat ultimately comes from God. That is why every time we eat, we ought to thank God beforehand for the food He has provided us.

Father in heaven, I thank You because You are merciful and gracious. The food on our table is evidence of Your grace and mercy in our lives. Help us to trust You for the things that we need continually. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Why do we have to pray before eating?

We are to pray to God before eating because we are to thank Him for the food that we have. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, it is written that we are to thank God in all circumstances, and this is the will of God for us.

As a matter of fact, this verse tells us that no matter what circumstances we have in our lives, we are to thank God. We can thank God because everything works together for our good, as written in Romans 8:28.

If we ought to thank God regardless of our circumstances, how much more if we have food on the table and are about to eat?

One way we show our thanksgiving to God is through prayer. It is basically where we thank God for His grace, mercy, love, provision, and faithfulness. We thank God for it because He deserves all the thanksgiving and the glory whenever we have food on the table. Psalm 100:4 tells us that we ought to give thanks and bless God’s name whenever we come before His presence. Also, in Psalm 69:30, the psalmist, King David, speaks of praising the name of God and magnifying him with thanksgiving. In other words, we thank God because, in the first place, He deserves to be thanked and given praise.

We also pray a prayer of thanksgiving before eating because it cultivates a heart of gratitude in us. If we are in Christ, God’s grace should overflow in us. As grace overflows in us, we are contented in Christ, knowing He is our greatest treasure. Because of that, we can thank God no matter the circumstances. As written by Paul in Philippians 4:11-12, he is content because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. We also cultivate that grateful heart by continually offering prayers of thanksgiving toward the LORD, just as we cultivate a patient and merciful heart when we pray for our enemies.

Heavenly Father, You are merciful, gracious, and abounding in steadfast love. You are the One Who sustains me throughout. There are a thousand things that You are doing for me that I don’t even know about. For that, I give You all the praise and thanks. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 

How can we pray before eating?

How you pray before eating is as simple as thanking God before you eat. Just as you thank a person before opening a gift, you thank God for your food before you eat. As you thank God, there are some things that you can keep in mind to avoid making your prayer the kind of dry declaration where you just say, “Thank You, God, for the food,” and that’s it. As you pray and thank God for the food, you can contemplate Who God is, His mercy and grace in Your life, and how He has been sustaining You. As you meditate on that, it stirs up a heart of gratitude in You, knowing that the food you are about to eat is only one fraction of the evidence of His grace and mercy.

Also, as you pray before you eat, it does not have to be limited to praying and thanking God for the food. You can also include prayers for others, such as praying for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that you know are struggling financially so they too have provision and can eat well.

Heavenly Father, I thank You for our food on the table. Bless the hands that made this food, and may this food energize our bodies. I thank You because this food comes from You, Father, Who faithfully sustains us. I also thank You for the mercies that You have been showing us, as You have kept us safe throughout the day. I pray for my brother in Christ [name of the person], who is currently struggling financially, that he will do well and has something to eat, not just now but in the days to come. As we bless him, we know that You shall also be faithful to provide for us. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

It is important to be reminded that whenever we thank God for our food before eating, we are doing it out of our relationship with God. Sometimes, we can be too overfamiliar with what we say in a prayer of thanksgiving. So, we ought to always meditate on Who God is and His mercy, compassion, grace, and holiness. Knowing Who God is draws our affection toward Him and keeps us from becoming overfamiliar.