There’s a certain sight that has hung with me since my first trip to Tanzania. My friend and I were walking into a woman’s mud hut to study the bible with her. She had just gotten back from the market so the moment was a little flustered. We heard some children around the corner, and eventually saw them as they came to greet their mom. There was a sense of absolute joy that completely consumed her as she gave the groceries to her children. She was beyond thankful that she had the means to feed her kids, even though the groceries only consisted of a small portion of beans and rice.

There ought to be a great sense of thankfulness for the food we eat. The ability to enjoy food to the degree we do (some people even claiming the title of being “foodies”), is not something that is necessary for salvation. Therefore, God could have created lumps of gray material without flavor or appeal, and we wouldn’t have known the difference. But He didn’t. He made food to be colorful, delicious, and with tons of variety. So much variety, that it overwhelms us when someone’s asks the age-old debate of “where would you like to eat?”

So the question remains; do we have to pray before we eat? Some think it’s just merely tradition while others think it is a divine obligation. Perhaps some examples from the New Testament can shed some light on the subject:

• The Feeding of Five Thousand (Matt. 14:19) “taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing“
• The Feeding of Four Thousand (Matt. 15:36) “He took the seven loaves and the fish and having given thanks, He broke them and gave them to the disciples”
• Paul’s Storm-Driven Journey to Rome (Acts 27:35) “he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat” *Mind you, this was in the midst of absolute devastation and chaos.
• Paul’s Instruction to Timothy (1 Tim. 4:4) “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving” (Check prior context about food).

Whether it was Jesus feeding the multitudes, breaking bread at the Last Supper, or Paul as he nears his death in Rome, we have example after example of praying before eating food. Why? Because (1) God has provided the means for you to eat and (2) God has blessed you with the ability to enjoy and benefit from something like food. Part of what made that Tanzanian woman so overjoyed was the children’s reaction. A brief word of thanks to God is our opportunity to show God how grateful we are that He provides so abundantly.

Tyler King