Prayer Before Meals
Gathered together below are a number of short prayers for meal times from different traditions of the Christian faith, featuring Anglican and Celtic graces (including the "Selkirk Grace"). There are also some good biblical examples of thanksgiving prayers for food, two short dinner prayers to say before eating, an ancient Jewish meal blessing and inspiring invocation prayers:-
children's prayer before meals
Short Grace Prayers
(five short prayers for use at meal times)
God is great, and God is good, And we thank him for our food; By his hand we all are fed; Give us, Lord, our daily bread.
God, we thank you for this food. For rest and home and all things good. For wind and rain and sun above. But most of all for those we love.
O Lord, we thank you for the gifts of your bounty which we enjoy at this table. As you have provided for us in the past, so may you sustain us throughout our lives. While we enjoy your gifts, may we never forget the needy and those in want.
Bless us, O Lord, and these your gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Bless this food to our use, and us to thy service. Fill our hearts with grateful praise. Amen.
resources on this page
Five short grace prayers for before meals
Bible verses about food and thanksgiving
Anglican meal prayers
Celtic graces
Jewish thanksgiving prayer
Bible verses about food and thanksgiving
Anglican meal prayers
Celtic graces
Jewish thanksgiving prayer
prayer before meals
God has two dwellings; one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart.
(Izaak Walton)
Prayer before meals for kids
(a prayer to help children think about those less fortunate than themselves as they eat)Dear God,
We thank you for the wonderful food at this mealtime
And each flavour that we enjoy.
Thank you for the goodness of the vitamins to our bodies
And the energy we receive as we eat.
Please be with those children around the world who go hungry,
And bless the work of those who are trying to help them.
In the name of Jesus we pray,
Amen.
(prayer from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
Short Thanksgiving Prayer Before Meal
(a prayer to say before eating food)Father, thank you for this wonderful food. Please bless those who have prepared this beautiful meal for us. We invite your Holy Spirit to be with us as we enjoy this precious time together.
Lord, as we eat and drink may we celebrate the love and goodness you give us each day.
Amen.
(a dinner prayer from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
Two Short Dinner Prayers
Prayer Blessing for food
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Thank you for your presence with us.
Bless this food to our bodies
That we may be strong to serve, gracious in giving
And overflowing with love.
Amen.
Thank you for Nourishment
Father, thank you for nourishment.
For the warmth of the sun and the refreshment of water.
For the miracle of the seed and the reaping of harvest.
For the wonder of taste and the blessing of food with loved ones.
Thank you, Lord.
Amen.
(two prayers to say before eating from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
Celtic Prayers
The Selkirk Grace
a thanksgiving used at Scottish Burns Supper evenings. This prayer was made popularised by Robert Burns (Scottish Poet 1759-1796)
Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit!
Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit!
a thanksgiving used at Scottish Burns Supper evenings. This prayer was made popularised by Robert Burns (Scottish Poet 1759-1796)
Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit!
(contemporary version)
Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit!
(traditional version)
Irish Grace
Bless, O Lord, this food we are about to eat; and we pray You, O God, that it may be good for our body and soul; and if there be any poor creature hungry or thirsty walking along the road, send them into us that we can share the food with them, just as You share your gifts with all of us.
Bless, O Lord, this food we are about to eat; and we pray You, O God, that it may be good for our body and soul; and if there be any poor creature hungry or thirsty walking along the road, send them into us that we can share the food with them, just as You share your gifts with all of us.
Short Thanksgiving Prayer
A inspiring prayer of gratitude to God for His presence through the changing seasons of life:-
Jewish thanksgiving prayer
Here's a prayer used by the Jewish faith for giving thanks:-
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our G-d,
King of the Universe,
Who creates many living
beings and the things they need.
For all that Thou hast
created to sustain
the life of every living being,
blessed be Thou,
the Life of the universe.
Bible verses about food and thanksgiving
• Jesus and thanksgiving - Jesus is recorded giving thanks to God on at least two occassions for providing food.
For example, at the feeding of the five thousand, he presented the food before heaven, gave thanks, and from five loaves of bread and two fish, five thousand men (not including their families) are said to have been fed. At the last supper, when he was aware of His coming suffering, Jesus remember to give thanks for the food:
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it..."
• Paul and thanksgiving - It was common practise for the Apostle Paul to give thanks before eating. In the Acts of the Apostles, during a terrible storm at sea, he gave thanks for food:
"After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat".
• the early Christians give thanks
"They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people."
For example, at the feeding of the five thousand, he presented the food before heaven, gave thanks, and from five loaves of bread and two fish, five thousand men (not including their families) are said to have been fed. At the last supper, when he was aware of His coming suffering, Jesus remember to give thanks for the food:
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it..."
(Matthew 26:26, NIV)
• Paul and thanksgiving - It was common practise for the Apostle Paul to give thanks before eating. In the Acts of the Apostles, during a terrible storm at sea, he gave thanks for food:
"After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat".
Acts 27:35, (NIV)
• the early Christians give thanks
"They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people."
Acts 2:26-7a, (NLT)
Thanksgiving Prayer
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
World Religions The practise of giving thanks before meal times is common amongst all major world religions. Buddhism, Hindism, Islam, Judiasm and Christianity all have long traditions of praying before eating.
Anglican meal prayers
Blessed are you, O Lord God, King of the Universe, for you
give us food to sustain our lives and make our hearts glad;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For these and all his mercies, God's holy Name be blessed
and praised; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
give us food to sustain our lives and make our hearts glad;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For these and all his mercies, God's holy Name be blessed
and praised; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(source: The 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church, U.S.A.)
Children's Meal Time Prayer
Thank you God for yummy meals,
For fruit and bread and cheese.
Thank you God for this great world,
For trees and fields and bees.
Thank you Lord for families,
For laughter and for fun,
Thank you now for this fine food,
Please bless it to our tum!
(a short food blessing from www.lords-prayer-words.com)
Take a moment to hear from God...
here are links to some wonderfully inspired prayers to aid your journey