CONFESSIONS OF A BAD MEAL PRAYER

This week my church is launching a week of prayer and it got me thinking about praying before meals.  I confess: I'm not the best at praying before meals.

As a kid I grew up and we prayed a memorized prayer before dinner.  In our home today, we don't pray a memorized prayer, but we pretty much only pray before the dinner meal. We take turns and now our kids kinda lobby for who gets to pray.  Maybe it's cuz at dinner, you have to wait for everyone to be served and us to pray before you eat.  I dunno.  At breakfast, lunch, or any other meal, you can just dive in once you get what you get.  Don't ask me why it is, it just is.  Welcome to our weird world of eating at the kitchen table in the Berrytribe.

I'm not even really sure why we do this as Christians, but evidently, you're supposed to pray before meals.  Sometimes it's awkward when I'm with someone, cuz I never know their conviction level on this one.  And there's this weird moment where you're not sure if you're supposed to just eat or wait or what.

But, here's my observations on prayer time at meals and the variations I've seen.

BUMPER STICKER PRAYER:
"Rubadub dub, thanks for the grub. Let's eat."

CLASSIC MEMORIZED PRAYER:  

"Please bless this food to our bodies and our lives to your service, Amen."

PRIVATE RESTAURANT PRAYER:  

I don't know how this one goes, but before you eat, you're supposed to hold your fork in your hand or fold your hands, then bow your head over your food, close your eyes, and not say anything anyone can hear but show them you're not eating yet either.

TOAST TO GOD PRAYER:  

I was introduced to this prayer by a friend of mine. I use it in restaurants a lot.  It's where everyone at the table grabs their glass, and instead of offering a "toast" to someone at the table, you offer one to God. You thank him for the food and for being at your table and then everyone taps glasses.  Then you eat.

THANK YOU BABY JESUS PRAYER:
I guess you can thank Will Ferrell for this one.




GROCERY STORE PRAYER:
There are two varieties of this prayer that I'm aware of.  First, there's the family that just prays over all the food they bring into their house from the grocery store and then, calls it all blessed.  You can also pray over the entire grocery store and help other sacrilegious families out while you're at it I suppose :)  The other variation on this is evidently buying "preblessed food".

Which does your family do?