A Nice Prayer For A Meal With Friends

Whenever we are about to eat, we should always say a prayer to God, thanking Him for His grace that has provided us with the food we are about to eat. If we do that when we are alone or with our family, we should also do it whenever we are about to have a meal with friends. A group of believers about to partake in a meal together, have fellowship, and thank God for the privilege is always a beautiful sight.

Heavenly Father, as we are about to have our meal together, may we always put You first by thanking You for the blessings and remembering that our gathering is centered on You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Why Pray When Having A Meal With Friends?

We should pray when having a meal with friends because the Bible tells us to thank God for all things. We are to thank God in all circumstances, for it is God’s will for us in Christ (Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). (Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Ephesians 5:20) also says that we are to thank God always and in everything. Surely, being able to eat is something we should thank God for, as God is the source of all things. From Him, through Him, and to Him are all things (For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. Romans 11:36).

 

 

We may have bought the food we are about to eat or the ingredients we used to cook and have a meal with friends, but those things also came from God as a form of His provision for us. Even our ability to generate wealth or have income comes from God alone. Everything comes from the LORD; therefore, it is only fitting that we ascribe to Him the glory He deserves (Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.Psalm 29:1-3). Even those simple and small things, such as having a meal with friends, are things for which we should thank God.

We should also pray when having a meal with friends because thanking God goes beyond thanking God for the food itself. Whenever we gather together and have a meal with friends, there are other things for which we should thank God. The fact that you can all gather together safely without getting into any accident is already one thing to be grateful for. The gathering or fellowship itself is something to thank God for. There is grace whenever we have Christ-centered and edifying fellowships (Acts 2:42-47) because we get to encourage one another in our collective faith.

In (And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.Hebrews 10:24-25), the Bible says that we are not to neglect meeting one another and that we are to encourage one another and stir up one another in love and good works. That is another reason why we should pray before we have a meal with friends or, rather, before our fellowship. We should pray and dedicate our fellowship to God so that it will be a Christ-centered, edifying, and faith-lifting time together rather than just a casual hangout.

How Can You Say A Nice Prayer When Having A Meal With Friends?

Given the things mentioned above, a nice prayer you can say before having a meal with your friends is a prayer of thanksgiving to God. As mentioned before, you can simply thank God for the food you are about to eat, His mercies and graces, the fact that you can all gather, and the time you are about to share.

We also mentioned before what an ideal fellowship would be. That is a fellowship where Christ is exalted, that feels edifying and encourages one another in the faith. With that, you can also say a nice prayer as you are about to have a meal with your friends by praying to God that the fellowship you are about to share will indeed be a Christ-centered, edifying, and encouraging fellowship where you stir up one another in love and good works.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your provision and grace upon us now. Thank You for the food we are about to eat. Thank You for allowing us to have fellowship together and for keeping us safe. May we have a Christ-exalting and edifying fellowship tonight, where we get to encourage one another in the faith with the conversations we will have. I pray for a Spirit-filled fellowship. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Remember that even if your friends are not believers, you can still pray before meals. Below is an example of this:

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the food we are about to enjoy, for it is Your sustaining grace upon us. We also thank You for allowing us to meet and spend time together today. We always thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who died for the penalty of our sins so that in Him we may receive forgiveness and eternal life and have a deeper relationship with You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If you are about to have a meal with friends who are not Christians, you can still pray before you have your meal. However, the difference is that your prayer will be more centered on thanking God for the food and thanking God for Jesus and what He did on the cross. Hopefully, as your unbelieving friends hear your prayer, they will get a glimpse of the Gospel, and perhaps that is a starting point for Christ to reach them.