Giving Thanks Before Eating

Have you ever considered the importance of giving thanks before eating? The practice of giving thanks before meals is rooted in Scripture and demonstrated by faithful children of God, including Jesus and the apostles. Every blessing comes from the Father (James 1:17), and expressing gratitude for God’s blessings should be a fundamental part of the Christian’s life.

1. Jesus Consistently Gave Thanks Before Eating

• Jesus gave thanks before distributing food to the four thousand (Matthew 15:36; Mark 8:6).
• All four Gospel accounts record Jesus giving thanks before feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:19; Mark 6:41; Luke 9:16; John 6:10-11).
• Jesus gave thanks before partaking of the bread and cup when instituting the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-27; Mark 14:22-23; Luke 22:17, 19).
• Jesus taught His disciples to pray to their Heavenly Father for their daily bread (Matthew 6:11), and Jesus’ example teaches us not only to ask the Father but to thank Him when He blesses us with food.
• If the Son of God consistently gave thanks to God before meals, Christians should do likewise (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6).

2. Paul Gave Thanks Before Eating

• During a storm at sea, Paul “gave thanks to God in presence of them all” before eating (Acts 27:35).
• Even in dire situations, gratitude to God was a priority.
• Note also that even in the presence of non-Christians, Paul was not ashamed to give thanks to God openly (cf. Daniel 6:10; Mark 8:6-9; Acts 21:5). Are we ashamed to give God thanks in prayer when we are in a public setting?

3. Giving Thanks for Food Is Expected of All Christians

• When speaking of Christians in general, Paul wrote, “He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks” (Romans 14:6).
• In 1 Timothy 4:3-5, Paul emphasized thanksgiving repeatedly: All foods are “to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.”
• The fact that all foods are “to be received with thanksgiving” implies that Christians should give thanks for all food (1 Timothy 4:3-5).
• The condition “if it be received with thanksgiving” implies that a prayer of thanks should precede the meal, for “every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.” Without this prayer, the food’s status as a divine blessing remains unacknowledged and should be “refused” if God has not been thanked.

4. What Does It Mean to Have Sanctified Food?

• Paul wrote, “For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:5). God’s Word has declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:15; Romans 14:14), making them acceptable for Christians to eat.
• To sanctify means “to distinguish or set apart as special or holy.” Without offering thanks, we fail to sanctify God as the Giver or to recognize the food as a blessing from Him (Matthew 6:30-33; 7:11; James 1:17).
• Once the prayer of thanksgiving has been offered, the food is now “set apart” as acceptable to eat rather than being “refused” (1 Timothy 4:4).

5. Christians Should Have an Attitude of Gratitude

• Christians should always be thankful to God: “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).
• “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
• These commands include giving thanks for food and all other blessings.

6. No Indication of Eating Without Thanksgiving

• The New Testament provides no example of faithful Christians eating without giving thanks. Instead, giving thanks for food is consistently mentioned.

Conclusion:

Scripture presents a clear pattern of giving thanks before eating. Jesus, Paul, and other faithful Christians demonstrated this practice, and all Christians should follow their examples (1 Corinthians 11:1). After seeing this pattern and never reading of faithful Christians eating without giving thanks, why would we withhold thanks from our loving Father? Thanksgiving should not be a neglected formality but a heartfelt acknowledgment of God’s abundant blessings.