A Mealtime Prayer
Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:15-17
Whatever you do … do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17
Many Christians value a tradition of mealtime prayer. A godly farmer once explained to me why such prayer is important to him. “My prayer before the meal is something that really sets me apart from my animals that I feed daily,” he said. Of all earth’s creatures, only human beings can consciously and willfully praise their Creator.
In a mealtime prayer we express our gratitude to God for our food and for all good things in our lives. We thank God for everyone who helped provide and prepare the meal—from the farmer who raised the crops to those who prepared the food. We pray for our loved ones who cannot join us at the table but who are close to our hearts. We also ask for God’s blessing on our mealtime fellowship.
Evgeniy, one of our radio listeners in Russia, didn’t know how to pray, and he felt too prideful to go to church to find out. He was over 30 years old when he finally read the New Testament for the first time. He tells us that praying turned out to be easier and more natural than he thought.
If you don’t have a habit of regularly communicating with God in prayer—whether at meals or at other times—why not try it? Your prayers can become a great source of encouragement in your relationship with God.
Our heavenly Father, you give us the great privilege of fellowshiping with you in prayer. Fill our hearts with praise and thanksgiving to you! Amen.
About the author — Sergei Sosedkin
Sergei Sosedkin is the Russian-language ministry leader for ReFrame Ministries. He is a native of Moscow, Russia. As he oversees the Russian-language ministry, Sosedkin works from our office in Grand Rapids and in various locations in Russia.
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