5 Family Dinner Prayers
Saying family dinner prayers, also known as saying grace before meals, is an age-old Christian custom. It is the practice of giving thanks to our provider, our Heavenly Father.
Why do we say Grace before meals?
We say grace before our meals to thank our Lord for providing food for us. Saying mealtime prayers is also an opportunity to pray for almost anything we may have in our hearts at that time. But remember to keep the mealtime prayer short.
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How do you say mealtime prayers?
Mealtime prayers should be short prayers of Thanks. We are thanking God for providing food for us to eat. This is not the time for long prayers as the food is waiting typically for hungry folks to eat.
We like to bow our heads and close our eyes to prayer so we can focus our full attention on the prayer. Many families like to join hands while praying. It is a good practice for families to join hands around the table to say, Grace.
Mealtime Prayers
One of the most common mealtime prayers you may recognize is the “God is great” mealtime prayer. Parents have been teaching this Grace prayer to their children for many years. You do not have to be a child to recite this meal prayer.
Feel free to print these prayers to teach your family when saying, Grace.
Save these printable prayers into a notebook, like this. Keep the notebook near the dinner table so the family can refer to them when needed.
You and your children can memorize the mealtime prayers and say them before any meal.
God is Great
God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands, we are all fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen
Father God
Father God, we want to thank you for the food you have provided and the hands that prepared it. Nourish this meal to our bodies and to our souls. In Jesus’ name, we thank You. Amen
Our Lord, our God, and our Father
Our Lord, our God, and our Father, thank you for the food before us and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for the bread of life. Continue to give mercy, as we thank you for grace and salvation. In His name, we pray, Amen
Bless, O Lord
Bless, O Lord, this food to our use, and us to Thy service. And keep us ever mindful of the needs of others. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Dear Lord
Dear Lord, as we sit down to enjoy this meal together, we give thanks to you for this food and your many blessings in our lives. We thank you for our family and ask you to continue to bless us together. In His name, we pray, Amen
These mealtime prayers are for adults and children. It is good to teach your children to get into the habit of thanking God for the blessing of nourishment at mealtime.
Allow your children to take turns saying Grace at mealtimes. This will help each of them to memorize these prayers, which they can use throughout their lives. Your children may teach these same prayers to their own children one day. Start a family tradition of praying at mealtime.
Also, see our Short Mealtime Prayers for Children
