Be Thankful at Meals

In a country where food is plentiful and options are many, we have a tendency to not be thankful at meals and picky about our meals. Family members often raise objections about what’s set out (not broccoli again!) and even complain about the temperature or texture of the food.

Families can combat this habit by thinking of the meal as a gift from the Father—and a gift from the person who prepared it.

The Bible gives a few helpful hints on how to pray. These are great starting points for teaching our kids!

• Ephesians 5:20 encourages us to give thanks to God, in the name of Jesus.
• First Timothy 6:8 urges us to be content, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
• We are also told to pray concisely. Matthew 6:7-8 says, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Many Bible passages also discuss the importance of glorifying God with our words.

• First Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
• Deuteronomy 8:10 says, “When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God.”

These verses show that every bite we eat is a gift from the Father, and that we need to thank Him for that. How have you taught your children to pray? Look for my tips in my book Whit’s End Mealtime Devotions and take a look at the sample below!

For additional encouragement SCH recommends Getting Better at Handling Anger…And  Then Even Better Yet