Familiar prayers are like warm blankets. The bring comfort. They connect us.

Several weeks ago, I blogged on favorite hymns. Recently, when my family and I said our traditional “grace” before our meal, I realized that communal prayers, like hymns, bring us together as Christians—as families—in worship. Other than in church, hymns and prayers offer the only time we “worship” together.

When I was young, my family said this prayer:

“Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty.

Through Christ, our Lord, Amen”

In doing some research recently on this prayer, I learned that it is a Latin Catholic grace prayer that is said before eating. According to Wikipedia, it is also used by some German Lutherans. This explains how it became a tradition in our family, as my heritage is German Lutheran.

Interestingly, I also found that this prayer has an associated prayer to say after eating.

“We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits. Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.”

I wonder why that tradition—of praying at the end of the meal—has faded away? Have we gotten so busy over time, that we only feel the need to ask the blessing of the food—but not to give thanks for it?

It’s a bit convicting, right?

Actually, it seems like a nice tradition to bookmark the meal with prayer. Most beginnings have an ending, and this prayer would signify that this meal has concluded. Amen.

Today, in my family, we say a prayer that is know as the “Common Table Prayer” also Lutheran in origin. Here is the prayer we say together:

“Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest.

Let these Thy gifts to us be blessed. Amen.”

This prayer can be bookended with Luther’s Blessing and Thanks at Meals, commonly prayed after the meal. Luther’s prayer is taken from the Psalms:

“O give thanks unto the Lord,

For He is good, for His love endures forever…Our Father… We thank Thee, Lord God,

Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for all Thy benefits,

Who livest and reighnest forever and ever. Amen.”

Moving away from Lutheran prayers, the Wesleyan Methodists also have traditional prayers that bracket the meal. Here is the Grace Before Meal:

“Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless

and grant that we may feast in fellowship with Thee. Amen.”

And after the meal:

“We thank Thee Lord, for this our food. But more because of Jesus’ blood.

Let manna to our souls, be given, The Bread of Life, sent down from heaven. Amen.”

The Church of England has a lovely meal prayer:

“For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen.”

The Anglicans offer this grace:

“Bless, O Father, Thy gifts to our use and us to Thy service; for Christ’s sake. Amen.”

What grace prayers do you / your family say?

(Source of prayers is Wikipedia)