Why do people pray before eating? I used to seem to me that there is something wrong in it, intact. The man was prayed in the morning and in the evening, talked to God, and that's good. What is the food, a purely household thing? In fact, such a prayer appeal is of great importance.
I myself understood this on my example. He began to pray because there were problems with digestion, and a familiar believer advised to dinner to contact God. I first explained for myself this way: I will read to calm down, tune in to accept food.
But in life it turned out differently. This habit gave me a very big understanding of the Christian faith, I changed my attitude to life. And I want to share information about how to read prayers before lunch and after the meal and why should it be done.
Prayer before meals - gratitude to God for his gifts
A prayer appeal to lunch makes us think: what does it mean to be a Christian? You go on a weekend to the temple, and that's good. Perhaps many read the morning and evening rule. But do you feel the connection with God? Being a Christian means to internally change and change your life.
It is very important to make every other action, internally communicating with God as a sign that you trust the highest forces. In this sense, there is one of the most important actions in our lives. This action through which we continue our lives.
In addition, we are taking something material created by the Creator. And the Orthodox prayer before meals helps us understand this deep thought.
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When we pray at the dinner table, we thank God for life, to breathe, live, eat food, rejoice in every moment of your life.
The prayer appeal sanctifies our dinner, makes it not just a certain nutrient mass, but sacred food, through which God's grace comes to our life.
There is a prayer appeal to God before meals and practical meaning - indeed, we calm down, tune in to conversation with God, and it helps us to protect yourself from overeating.
Thanksgiving prayer appeal - the basis of faith
Today we live in a very intense rhythm, we have no time to stop, think about God, feel His presence next to us. Food for us is, first of all, some entertainment, "yummy", with which we are stressful.
Food becomes a sport, or the process of "charge the batteries", that is something purely utilitarian. Sometimes we do not notice the taste of the product, we take the time to swallow our rations and run on his own business.
Prayer fixes this sad situation. By the way, those who have a useful habit to pray before eating, very rarely have problems with digestion, they do not have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
After eating the food, it is desirable to pray, too, thank the Creator for the created them gifts for the continuation of life.
Prayer helps:
- tune in a quiet way;
- improve digestion;
- realize their thanks to God;
- to express the love of the Creator.
How to read the prayer before the meal
Let us remember how our ancestors lived. For them, prayer request was the basis of life. They did everything with prayer and above all do not forget to pray before dinner. The families have been friendly, large, and even in the lean years of food enough for all.
Lunch prepared the eldest of the women, young helped her. Finished pieces with a prayer, blessed cooked meals. Now this tradition goes. Many of us buy ready-made meals in the store. And I do not know what benefit can bring a lunch.
The situation may fix your own prayer before the meal. Even if you do not prepare their own lunch, a sincere turning to God will bless it and make it more useful.
If you think that this food, it becomes clear: the food - it is a manifestation of God's concern for people. Everything in the world is created by God, and that the food we eat for vitality, increase energy levels, continue their life as a whole, also created by God for us. We need to appreciate this fact and thank God for what we have food to eat.
Therefore, in the beginning of the meal once again think about it, mentally (or aloud if appropriate) thank God for your lunch or dinner, as well as read the canonical prayer. This can be a special text on eating.
But if you can not remember it, then read the "Our Father" or "Hail Mary, Hail." This is the blessing prayer, read it, you thereby sanctify lunch. In Orthodoxy this blessing have the right to do not only priests, but all believers. A prayer, crossed dishes and proceed with peace of mind for dinner.
educational value
It is important that you not only are praying before a meal, but also taught the children. Our children live in a completely different world, they enter into the race for the money, for the good things of life from a very young age.
Therefore, you should, like parents, explain to children, which is most important in the world - this is the soul. It can not be bought for any money. The soul is cleared only by communicating with God. Your example will be the best lesson for your children: pray yourself, and they will repeat the words of the sacred texts behind you.
Only in the family, the child can be a good attitude towards other people, clarify the great power of prayer. If your son or daughter see how you pray hard before eating and after making food, then they will come in the same way.
Their perception of life will become different: more love will appear, respect, mutual understanding. And there will also be another attitude towards food - as something sacred.
What if you are visiting or in a cafe? Nothing terrible, you can pray for yourself. And you can pronounce the text of the prayer in a low voice, you do not interfere with anyone.
As a prayer before meal, you can use:
- canonical prayers (ours ");
- Prayers of gratitude, expressed in their own words;
- Special prayer ("the eyes of all ...").