Why do we pray before meals?

protection

Blessings to all. We pray to thank God for our daily food, because it's strength and nourishment for our body, if we do not eat, we will die. That is why we prayed daily before each meal, we thank God for His bountiful provision. We also pray to God , that He might provide for those whom are lacking food , and for those that are in need of the necessities we all need to survived. This is a very interesting question. I think that we are so blessed, some take it for granted. Peace out you all.

I think it started with the Lord's prayer... "Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us of our debts as we forgive your debtors... etc."

PERSONALLY I think He's talking about the bread of life. The word... but people took it as thanking God for your meals, and it soon turned into a habit that Christianity and other religions took on.

It's wonderful to be thankful for what you have, and I know a lot of people say grace because they are thankful... but for a lot of families it's also habit.

I believe thankfulness should be an attitude, and practiced at all times, but every now and this it's really great to just sit down before a meal, reflect, and really tell the Lord how amazing He is, and how blessed I feel to even have food.

Speak for yourself. I don't pray before meals. If I needed to thank someone, I did so by paying for my groceries with my money which I earned with my job. I don't see god anywhere in the equation.

I know some will point out the rain god gives the farmers to grow food. I would try to explain the basis of meteorology and how god isn't part of that either but I think it would fall on deaf ears. The same goes for those who say god gave the land to grow food on because I'm pretty sure the farmer had to shell out big bucks for that too.

@MOMMAH

If there are impurities in your food, praying over it will not get them out, as I'm sure any Christian ever struck with food poisoning will attest.

@John S

Perhaps your prayer of thanks could also thank god for your ancestors having the wisdom to pillage their way to one of the most fruitful lands on earth. That may have more to do with America having more food on the table than in Africa.

To give thanks for the bounty that some of us enjoy.. the food we have.

Ya do know that most of the world goes to bed hungry, not eating their fill each day?

http://www.bread.org/hunger/global/

http://library.thinkquest.org/C002291/high/present...

There are literally billions of human beings in Africa, India, and China that would LOVE to have 3 square meals a day...right?

SO...

We praise God for giving us the food we have. We are thankful because he made the world, which we can then harvest this food.

The prayer my family says at the table sums it up pretty well.

Bless us, O Lord, for these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive

from Thy bounty.

Through Christ our Lord

Amen

Literally, it says..

Bless us for what we are about to eat, which comes from your bounty (the bounty of the Earth which God created)

Through Christ, who is our Lord and Savior

So be it

To me, that pretty much says it all.

The only reason we will have the next meal is by the grace of God, so keep saying grace.

Cause some people don't get to have meals,

Who is this "we"? It's certainly not I, because I understand the difference between fantasy and reality.

Get a life.

God doesn't provide anything at my table. God doesn't grow the vegetables, raise the animals, get them to market, process them for my consumption, earn the money for me to buy them, or cook them. God does none of those things.

Because all good things come from God and we are thankful for what He has provided.

Because it's good to appreciate for what god has given you and your loved ones to get through life.