For a few years now, I’ve wondered what sort of blessing Jesus said before eating. This weekend I was listening to some recordings of lessons by Ray Vander Laan, and he talked about that very thing. According to RVL, the Jewish custom is/was not to “bless the food,” but to bless God for having given us the food.
My custom lately has been not to ask for anything when praying at the dinner table. I give thanks. I give thanks for many different things, not just for the food.
The example we have of Jesus was that he gave thanks before eating. The Bible also talks about receiving food with thankfulness. So that’s what I try to do.
Can you think of other examples or teachings from the Bible that would come into play on this subject?
I believe if you look at the two stories of the (loaves and fishes) in Mat chs 14 and 15, Jesus blessed in one version and gave thanks in the other. So I suppose either is acceptable.
In the last year, my prayers have been more about giving thanks than “blessing” the food, mainly because I’m not sure what I’m asking for when I say that.
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