Giving Thanks for Our Food: A Form of Witness?

I am sure we have all seen movies (especially the films made in the USA), where the family come together for a meal. As everyone sits down at the table, and the spread of food is laid before them, they all take the hand of the person next to them and bow their head. At this point, whoever is sitting at the head of the table will normally say a few words of thanks to God, and with that everyone says “Amen!” Then the eating begins.

These scenes in films are designed to give us warm fuzzies and make us long for a period where everything was simpler and more wholesome. But is giving thanks for our food something that is commonly done today, and should Christians give thanks in public?

Recently, British comedian, Rebecca Ryder, posted a question on Twitter asking if Americans really do pray before their meals; she then went on to say that no one in the UK engages in this practice. This created a flurry of tweets in response, and several were from people in the UK stating that saying “grace” has a strong Christian tradition and that many people still pray before their meals.

As I thought about Rebecca’s question, my mind wandered back to my childhood, and I soon realised there hadn’t been a time when as a family we didn’t pray before meals. Now, as I look at my young family, I have seen that this tradition has continued; every time we sit down to eat, we will pray (sometimes with our evening meal we will even sing the Doxology).

Yet, here was Rebecca’s tweet saying that no one in the UK that she knows engages in this practice. As I pondered her statement, I began to realise that in both Australia and the UK, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone (apart from my family) bow their heads at a restaurant to pray. When I was in the US a couple of years ago, I remember seeing in Kentucky that many families bowed their heads to give thanks before meals; it was quite common in the Bible-belt to see people praying, but not here in Britain.

As I thought about this, I began to wonder if there is a biblical basis to pray for our meals and if Christians should pray for our food while in public?

It wasn’t hard to answer my first question, as when we open the Bible, we soon see examples of prayer being offered for meals. For instance, the Lord Jesus gives thanks before a meal in Matthew 14:19-21 and Matthew 15:34-36; we also see Christ giving thanks in Luke 24:30 and John 6:11. Clearly, a biblical example has been given to us to give thanks before eating, with the Apostle Paul also carrying on this pattern in Acts 27:33-36. Moreover, Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 4:4-5 that every creature can be received as food if we do so with thanks and prayer. I think we can safely say we have Divine and Apostolic examples to follow in this regard.

But what about my second question – should Christians pray for their food while in public?

I know whenever public prayer is mentioned some will often reference Matthew 6:5 as an argument for not praying. But to understand that verse in such a manner ignores the example of public prayer we’ve already mentioned, and it also doesn’t consider what the religious leaders were doing in those days. Back then, the religious leaders would sound a trumpet and draw attention to themselves; once the eyes of the people were locked upon them, they would make a show of prayer. This verse could only be used to prevent giving thanks for a meal if the person praying stood up on the table in the restaurant and then called for everyone to look at him before praying.

Now I am certainly not suggesting you should sound a trumpet and call everyone to look at you next time you eat at McDonald’s (I’d rather say Chick-fil-A but they’ve been run out of the UK by angry mobs). But what I would suggest is that next time you sit down for a meal, that you bow your head and give thanks to the Lord for His provision. By focusing on the Lord, you are also testifying to the world around you that God exists and that He is the One who provides. As a culture we have become so wrapped up in ourselves that we have forgotten that apart from God we are nothing, so by bowing your head to give thanks, you are reminding yourself of this truth, and you are also testifying to those who happen to see you. Giving thanks for your food in public is really a form of witness, as you are saying through your actions, “My God supplies. He is good to us!”

As a nation, we have forgotten God, so we as Christians through our words and deeds need to remind people of the God who is there. All people know that God exists (Romans 1:20-25), but people have become so absorbed with the idol of self, that they have forgotten God. Giving thanks before our meals is just one of the ways that we can remind people of God.

Recently, I was reading through an early childhood reader from the early 20th century. This reader was designed to be used in schools throughout the British Empire, as it was hoped that it would teach children both morality and reading. In this reader, there was a little story entitled, “A Child’s Thank You,” as I read the story, it struck me just how far we have moved away from God and forgotten Him.

The story reads:

“Thank you, Mother, for the bread I eat,” says the child. “We must thank the man who brings it,” the mother replies.

“Thank you, Carter, for bringing the bread,” says the child. “We must thank the man who bakes it,” the Carter replies.

“Thank you, Baker, for baking the bread,” says the child. “We must thank the man who makes the flour,” the Baker replies.

“Thank you, Miller, for grinding the flour,” says the child. “We must thank the man who grows the wheat,” the Miller replies.

“Thank you, Farmer, for growing the wheat,” says the child. “We must thank the One who sends the rain to grow the wheat, and gives the sun to ripen it,” the Farmer replies.

“Thank you, God, for sending rain and giving sun to ripen the wheat, that makes the bread I eat. Thank you for the world so sweet, thank you for the food we eat, thank you for the birds that sing, thank you, God, for every-thing.”

When a nation forgets God, the mere act of being thankful for food becomes strange, but if we make a practice of being thankful, of giving thanks both in public and private for the food the Lord has provided, then we will be witnessing to the God who is there. By simply bowing our head and saying ‘thank-you’ we are making much of Jesus.