7 Christian Dinner Prayers

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When I was a child we did not pray at meal times but as I have grown in my relationship with the Lord I have learned the importance of the mealtime blessing. Traditionally, some families use the same prayer at every meal, yet others lift up an original thank you to the Lord for meals.

Come Lord Jesus, be our guest and bless what you bequeathed us.

Praying before meal times is something that we find in the Bible. Take a look at these popular passages:

“And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat.” (Paul speaking in Acts 27:35)

And he said unto them, “With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: ¹⁶ For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: ¹⁸ For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. ¹⁹ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” (Jesus speaking to the Apostles at the last supper Luke 22:15-20)

Here are 7 Christian dinner prayers that you might consider when you would like to thank the Lord for His provision.

Children’s Prayers

I used to say this one with my children at breakfast and lunch time.

A Rhyming Meal Prayer

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 everything. Amen.

As a child whenever we had a Girl Scout outing we would sing this as a dinner time blessing. It was not until years later that I learned it was a song from a Disney movie. I also sang this one with my children.

Johnny Appleseed Song

♪♫ The Lord is good to me

And so I thank the Lord

For givin me the things I need

The sun and rain and the apple seed

Yes, He’s been good to me.♫♪

(View a video of this song in the upper right of this page)

Prayer Before Meals (Catholic)

Bless us Oh Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord.  Amen.

Dinner Time Prayer (German)

Komm Herr Jesus.
Sei unser Gast
Und segne was Du uns bescherret hast.

(English translation)
Come Lord Jesus,
Be our guest
And bless what you bequeathed us.

The Selkirk Grace

Some have meat and cannot eat;
Some cannot eat that want it:
But we have meat and we can eat
Sae let the Lord be thankit!

Irish Grace

Bless, O Lord, this food we are about to eat;  and we pray You, O God,that it may be good for our body and soul; and if there be any poor creature hungry or thirsty walking along the road, send them into us that we can share the food with them,  just as You share your gifts with all of us.

Meal Prayer

Lord God and Giver of All Good Gifts, we are grateful as we pause before this meal, for all the blessings of life that You give to us. Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding. And so, mindful of Your continuous care, we pause to be grateful for the blessings of this table.

– Pause for silent reflection –

May Your presence be the “extra” taste to this meal which we eat in the name of Your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

What is your favorite mealtime prayer?

Share your favorites in the comments below.

Looking for more prayers?

Take a look at these from our archives

• 10 Popular Bedtime Prayers

• Prayers from the Bible

• 10 Short Prayers for Protection

Sources:

The Holy Bible, King James Version

The Selkirk Grace: Burns, Robert 1759-1796

Meal Prayer: Hays, Edward, Prayers for the Domestic Church: A Handbook for Worship in the Home (Kansas: Forest of Peace Books, 1979), 110.

YouTube video: Johnny Appleseed Song

Tagged as: Christian dinner prayers, Prayers