Growing up my family and I would pray before each meal saying the same prayer each time. As an adult I have found myself not praying before my meals that often. I had never thought about it until I saw one of my co workers praying before he started eating. It made me wonder if it is a commandment in the bible that we are to pray before each meal so I looked it up. There is nothing in the bible that specifically says we are to pray before each meal but here is what Jesus always did.
"And He directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people."
- Matthew 14:19 NIV
Jesus would give thanks before He would eat. So though the bible doesn’t say we need to pray but if we want to be imitators of Jesus then praying and giving thanks for the meal we are receiving would be a great addition to our behaviours. I challenge you, and myself, to pray before each meal giving thanks to what God has given us.
God Bless
Branches MN 