“Happy Thanksgiving!”

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Is it wrong not to pray before a meal?

Sincerely,
Let’s Eat

Dear Let’s Eat,

It is easy to get caught up in constantly asking, “Is it wrong to...”; in many circumstances, thinking about things in the negative can be the wrong approach.  Christianity isn’t merely about avoiding bad choices but also about making good choices.  So the positive version of this question is, “Should we pray before meals?”  The answer to that question is: yes.

Christians are to imitate Christ (Col 2:6).  Our lives are supposed to be modeled after His pattern of living (1 Pet 2:21).  Jesus gave thanks before eating a meal (Matt 15:36).  The apostle Paul also told us to imitate him (1 Cor 11:1).  Paul gave thanks before he ate (Acts 27:35).  Paul even told Timothy that we are to receive food with thanksgiving (1 Tim 4:3-4).  Jesus told us to pray for our daily bread (Matt 6:11), and then later we are told that whatever we pray for we should also give thanks for once we’ve received it (Col 4:2).  It is appropriate and godly behavior to constantly give God thanks for the blessings we receive in this life.  After all, all our blessings flow from Him (Jas 1:17).

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