And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. — John 6:11
One of the first things that I learned as a child was to pray over food. In the South, we would refer to this as a blessing, while others have often referred to it as saying grace. It is the concept of praying over the food before we eat in thanks.
It is following in the example of Jesus. In the scripture referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, He instructs us to pray for our daily bread. In this passage, He prays over the food before it is distributed to the people. At the Lord’s Supper, He also prays before the food is distributed to the disciples.
It’s apparent for us to see the importance of this prayer, but it is so much more than just a simple repetitious prayer. We often give little thought to all that should go into this prayer, but it is extremely important. Yes, we should be thankful that God gave us the ability to have food. But have you thought of all that goes into this?
Somewhere, farmers used their land to raise the supply. Maybe it was meat, vegetables, or grain. But God blessed them with the ability and resources to cultivate and collect it. There was people who helped process it. Drivers who helped transport it. Someone who stocked it on the shelves, and someone who helped prepare it.
While we often reduce it to simple words so that children can say it, we should never lose sight of all that is involved. Countless people, resources, and abilities that were all needed in order for us to have our daily bread. The next time you say grace, keep all these things in mind. Truly, it is a blessing from God that we should be thankful for!
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