Mealtime prayer is most important if you believe someone is listening

John Brewer, member, Unitarian Fellowship of Lawrence, 1263 N. 1100 Road:

It’s important to pray before meals (and at all other times) if you know, or your faith asserts, that somebody is listening. If that is not your faith, then you have to understand prayer differently.

When my extended family gathers for meals at reunions, we usually sing the Scout Grace (“For food, for raiment, for life, for opportunity, for friendship and fellowship, we thank thee, O Lord”) or the doxology (“Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. Bless these, thy gifts, and grant that we with others share what comes from Thee.”)

Such graces are my family’s way, at the very least, of acknowledging our dependence on the bounty of the earth.

Although I do not pray at most other mealtimes, I feel gratitude for my food and for the good life that has surrounded my meals all the days of my life. I could pray for the multitudes that have not been born into such good fortune, but that does not seem to do much good.

The way I understand the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus expected his followers to do a lot more than pray. He himself not only prayed but also fed and healed. Not all Christians take this kind of activism as their homework assignment, but if I were a Christian, I would have to search a long time in the Bible to find an escape clause.

As a Unitarian Universalist, I am inspired by people of any faith or philosophy who feel compassion for the suffering of others and act on that compassion. Service and prayer belong together.

– Send e-mail to John Brewer at jbrewer@sunflower.com.

Prayer before meals is one of the many times we should thank God

The Rev. James Taylor, senior pastor, Lawrence Heights Christian Church, 2321 Peterson Road:

Praying before a meal is more than just a rote prayer.

The universal prayer prayed all over the world is, “Lord, bless this food to the nourishment of my body. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” While there is truth in that prayer, for most of us it is a prayer with no meaning.

To answer the question: “How important is it to pray before meals?” we must start from the basis that everything we have comes from God. It is God who allows us to have good health, which enables us to work in order to earn money. This allows us to purchase food for which we should ask God’s blessing.

To acknowledge God for our meals should be as natural as breathing. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” That certainly would include praying before meals.

When my wife and I go to a restaurant, we tell our server that when our food arrives we will be asking God’s blessing on our meal. We then ask if there is anything we can ask God with which to bless them. As a result, we learn about people and are able to make our meal prayer more significant. This helps our prayer to be more meaningful and is no longer just a repetitive prayer.

Matthew 6:7 reads, “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.”

– Send e-mail to James Taylor at j.t@lawrence-heights.org.