How do you pray before a meal?

[iceniez]

Originally Posted by joyful

I almost forgot about the time that I went out to eat with someone from church who in addition to praying for the food with as loud a voice as possible, also began speaking in tongues. I really wanted to suggest reading I Corinthians 14 but I refrained. I also wanted to melt into the floor when it was happening.

Jesus,corrected the pharisees for standing on the street corners praying in loud voices to try and be so holy,they already recieved their reward.Some people just do not use wisdom.

[iceniez]

Originally Posted by jaamez

LOL! You gotta be careful, though, with all the "heh!" so as to not cough phlegm all over the bounty!

Seriously, though, at home we hold hands around the table and give thanks. In a restaurant we don't hold hands (16-year-old son doesn't want to be seen holding hands with his parents), but we do quietly give thanks.

I have been in situations in public where the pray-er was very obviously making a show of it. One guy realizing the spectacle that was being made started trying to cut it short with a few outbursts of "Amen," but that only threw more fuel on the fire and made the prayer that much more boisterous (obnoxious, really)! I don't go around that guy very often anymore.

[LadyRev]

Originally Posted by pelathais

My wife puts her hair all over the food and asks that the angels come and eat first. They don't eat much - but that's probably because of all the hair in the food.

OK, I almost choked on my DEW on this one.

[Sister Alvear]

How do I pray? depends on who cooked it!...ha....

[Light]

Originally Posted by Sister Alvear

How do I pray? depends on who cooked it!...ha....

That was a good one sister!!

[Sister Alvear]

love you folks...

[Sam]

Many years ago I spent a Sunday with Bro. and Sis. Hardt. They were pastoring a church in Marshfield, WI. The church was a two-story house. The "sanctuary" was two rooms on the first floor that had been enlarged into one room and the "parsonage" was the second floor. Before they ate Sunday dinner they took prayer requests, then all prayed out loud together. I don't remember if we held hands or not.

[Margies3]

At home we always all sit in the same seat for every meal. (since there are 4 of us, and 4 sides to the table, gee, it just seems to work out good). Before we eat, we take turns praying. One meal it is Walt's turn, the next meal it's Justin's turn, then mine and then Keith's and then we're back to Walt....

That works well for us in our own home.

It is funny sometimes tho when the boys have a friend join us for supper. Whenever we sit down to eat, someone will inevitably start out with, "So whose turn is it to pray this time?" And then we'll watch the guest get this panicked look on their face every single time!! I always have to chuckle about that.

On the other hand, we do have a few boys who eat here so often that they just automatically get a turn when they are here. If Justin prayed last and Ricky happens to be eating with us and he sits beside Justin at the table, then it's Rick's turn to pray. LOL Thank the Lord for good Christian friends for my boys!!

[Sam]

Do you think prayer before a meal is important
or
just an empty ritual/tradition?

[Sam]

Some times I think about a remark attributed to the late Peter Marshall (subject of the book A Man Called Peter). One night he asked his wife to say the traditional table blessing because he did not feel very thankful for leftovers.