Honestly, as Christians, do you always say a prayer before you eat?

Question

Sadly I have to say that I don't do a good job of praying before I eat. And I think from now on I am going to do a better job of it.

c.lecoqc or whatever your name is saying your blessing in Public is what you are supposed to do. It shows people that you are a Christian and you might be able to bring others to Christ that way.

I just thought this was a good question since Thanksgivng is coming up and all.

Answer 1

We do at supper. and breakfast when the whole familys here. And yes we do it out in public.

Answer 2

Wow. I am exactly the same way. I actually just ate and I forgot. I have tried to make it a point to pray before I eat, but I haven't done a good job at all. I will try harder. Sometimes it can be difficult though, when around other people.

Answer 3

Nope. For me, I believe that a prayer should be said with the heart. If it's said before every meal, then it becomes a habitual chore and no longer special. They become as flavorless as a meal without salt. When talking to God, the heart and words should be mindful of God and not just getting some dutiful words out of the way so you can eat already.
Some people can and do give a heartfull prayer to God before each meal. I'm happy it works for them. I'm not like that so I make time in another part of the day to pray without distraction.

Answer 4

I am in the same boat - I don't always pray before I eat. I know I should and if my hubby and I are having a sit down meal, we do pray. But if I grab something on the fly, my prayer is lacking.

Answer 5

Honestly, yes I always do, even if its just a quick "thank you, Lord, please bless this food". It is a habit of mine and my family's, as well. I always want His blessing on what I eat. You just never know these days, with e-coli, salmonella, lead poisoning, etc, etc...!! And besides that, I really AM thankful to have good food to eat everyday, as there are so many in our world who don't, sadly. It is the very least I can do.

Answer 6

I do if we are sitting down to eat as a family for sure, and I usually do it even when I'm eating alone. I might not if I am just grabbing a quick snack on the go.

It's not really about the ritual; it's about trying to stay in a spirit of thankfulness and communication with God.

Answer 7

No, I don't always. But I should more often. Its good to be thankful for how fortunate we are and to pray for those less fortunate. However, don't make it a ritual. Be genuinely thankful for it and take the time to think about how lucky you are to be able to eat when you want to eat when so many others cannot.

Answer 8

I only pray when I sit down for the shelter food. It's a requirement & gives me a chance to watch what the people in the kitchen are doing!

Answer 9

I think we are probably all guilty of that because of our fast paced lifestyle now. Everyone eats in shifts sometimes and at work, you're eating and working at your desk. Thanks for the reminder. I will try to do better also. We need to be so thankful and also pray for those that go to bed hungry. We don't realize how blessed we are!

Answer 10

I don't always, sometimes I do it after and sometimes I forget to do it at all. I have started working harder on it. I actually find it easier to remember when I am out eating because at home my fiance and I rarely sit down at the table to eat, usually we eat watching TV or working or whatever.

Answer 11

I didnt do that, but I got a little pamphlet from the Poor Clare sisters and it talked about saying prayers with everything you do. I'm trying to do that, but it's not as easy as it sounds. Guess it takes practice.