Is it necessary to always bless the food


Scovy
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When I was baptized, I heard a story about a lady (not in my ward) who was unexpectedly asked to bless the food at some church event.  But she was not a public speaker.  She became very tongue-tied and flustered, and all she could stammer out was a short prayer that the "food will not give us gas."

 

I chuckle at this story now, but you know what?  If the story is true, I think her heart was in the right place, and her prayer was a fine gesture of thanks to God.  Short blessings that show one's true heart in a situation are always welcome and lovely in my book.  And who knows?  Maybe the gas prayer really was the most appropriate thing to ask for that night in the ward.

 

Actually, this story was one of two stories I heard that night about awkward situations at church.  The other story was about a man who was bearing his long testimony, and after ten minutes the bishop interrupted him and told him to wrap it up immediately because everyone had to get home in time for some TV show that night.

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When we pray for our food, we also ask a special blessing on the hands that prepared it. And, that any chemicals or processing that may cause us harm will not cause our bodies harm. We also ask that we will be mindful of what we eat and we will be healthful in mind and body.

 

There's many things that you can pray for in our food prayers that don't have to be repetitive.

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Prayer over meals is a prayer of Thanksgiving.  Our Father who art in heaven, we thank thee for the food in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen... you can say that prayer over and over and over for every meal if you like.  That is the purpose of prayer over meals... to acknowledge God's hand in your sustenance.  It only becomes vain repetition if you're saying the prayer without Thanksgiving in your heart.

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A few thoughts:

I've read about a study done that showed how prayer actually changes the molecules (?) in food so it is important but I do see what you're saying about it feeling repetitive.  A few ways to switch it up:

 

"please bless this food that it will nourish and strengthen us"

"we ask that what we're about to eat will give us the energy that we need"

"we ask a blessing on this food that it will do us the good that we need"

 

Thanks is good but you have to ask in order to receive.

As far as it being vain - only if what you're eating isn't actually food (ie processed junk...)

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Being repetitive doesn't necessarily mean it has any less significance to us. We shouldn't say the same prayer with no feeling, but just because you change some words up doesn't mean it is not in vain. You could say what sounds like a heart felt prayer and it may really mean nothing to you in your heart. I would state it not as repetitive being the issue, but rather lip service being the problem. 

 

If you don't in deed feel grateful for the food or the blessings, then it is repetitive and in vain. Your heart is what decides, I think. I try to add in specific people to ask a blessing for in my prayers for food. That seem to mix it up and reminds us that we truly should be grateful for what we have. 

Edited by EarlJibbs
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I think the issue is that we are blessing the food personally. I always wonder what God is thinking when at some church and family functions someone is asked to bless the food and the table is decorated in fatty chicken, sugary deserts, and enough calories to make us run a marathon just to burn it off. He must be thinking please don't use the healthy or nourish word in this prayer. If you wind the clock back a few generations we realise that they wouldn't use the phrase "lets bless the food" but rather more correctly "let's give thanks" This prayer was for the purpose of thanking God that they had food, thanking him for their crops, their work, their labors, the rain, each other, and all things which he has blessed them with so they now may sit down and eat together. It was a prayer of thanks giving. Next time you eat rather than say "who wants to bless the food? Maybe try saying. Who would like to offer thanks to God for the food we have? Or a quick discussion on what we are thankful for and there ask someone to include that in the prayer. A more common practice was that they use to go around the table and each person would say what they were thankful for and this was the prayer.

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A few thoughts:

I've read about a study done that showed how prayer actually changes the molecules (?) in food

 

I don't mean to sound rude...but that is the kind of thing that gives religion a bad name. You may believe it an maybe it is part of your faith to believe it (which then makes it true), but to repeat it with some thought that someone else might believe you is kinda....dumb.   Okay, I was rude.  Fact is saying stuff like that makes Mormons look like we are from a different planet.

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I don't mean to sound rude...but that is the kind of thing that gives religion a bad name. You may believe it an maybe it is part of your faith to believe it (which then makes it true), but to repeat it with some thought that someone else might believe you is kinda....dumb.   Okay, I was rude.  Fact is saying stuff like that makes Mormons look like we are from a different planet.

 

Whether you or anyone else believes it or not really doesn't matter to me.  I just thought it was an interesting thing to consider.  Furthermore, I've come across this in two different places - neither of which had anything to do with religion - just health.  Also, considering how many things there are about Mormonism that the outside world thinks are nutty, I'm really not concerned about this comment making it look like we're "from a different planet".  

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I had a companion that wanted to bless the food when we brought it home from the store.  That way we could avoid the vein repetitions and insure all our food was blessed and thanked for - including quick snacks between meals.  Obviously if someone is in a hurry - it also saves time.

 

I also have a friend that insists on saying a blessing on everything he eats at the time it is eaten.  I find it most odd when he will ask that the L-rd bless donuts and chocolate milk to give us strength and nourishment????

 

For me - I am just thankful for those few still willing to give thanks and a blessing.  :)

Edited by Traveler
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Prayers over meals seem to always bless the food and that it may do us good feels like a vain repition of prayers.  Do people have other suggesions what can be said? Latley I've been focusing more on giving thanks for various things

Is it always necessary to bless the food? is your title.  My answer is no, but it is always necessary to Thank Heavenly Father for our food..... and everything else.

 

I think your focus is the right direction.

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No it is not always necessary to bless the food that we consume, I think at formal meals aka dinner with the family a prayer of thanks should be given. I do not understand the concern about vain repetition, Catholics have the same prayers for many things and they will tell you that the repetition is not vain. It is the depth of feelings and thoughtfulness with which the prayer is given

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I have a good friend from Church and we have lunch together often, in public places such as restaurants or the food court at the mall. We take turns asking a blessing on the food, even though I suppose we are rather conspicuous in doing so sometimes. We fold our arms and bow our heads and quietly talk with our Heavenly Father for the few brief moments it takes to ask Him to bless the food. I used to be very self-conscious doing this, but then I asked myself if I was ashamed of my relationship with God, and if I was trying to hide it for fear of what the world might think of me.

The answer in my heart disturbed me, and I vowed that I would overcome this, and so I have. My friend and I don't try to draw attention to ourselves when we pray over our food, and in fact, the only way anyone would notice is if they were staring at us in the first place.

As for the idea of "vain repetition", many of our prayers in the Church are repeated word-for-word by the Lord's own instruction. The Sacrament prayers, for example, and the words that are spoken in the waters of baptism. The temple ordinances require precise repetition, too.

I see nothing wrong with saying very similar prayers each time we bless the food. Someone here mentioned that what matters to God is the good intent and sincere desire of our heart in asking a blessing on the food, and indeed, in any prayer.

So yes, my answer is that it is necessary to bless the food each time we partake. My thought is that it is rather lazy not to do so, and is looking for an easy way out of having to address Heavenly Father. I am no longer ashamed of my love for and belief in Him, and I don't really care who knows it. If anyone has a problem with it, they can look away.

Does it get tiresome for you ("you" in the general sense) to bless the food each time? If so, perhaps a look at priorities is in order. "Pray beforehand"? Why? Again, unless one is ashamed to be seen talking to God...

Just my thoughts on the topic. Others' opinions will differ, I'm sure.

Whether dining in public or privately, I would feel

very guilty if I didn't pray each time.

Edited by Silhouette
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  • 2 weeks later...

But if we bless the lunch, and the same food is still on the table for dinner, do we need to bless it again? What's the situation when it comes to blessing left-overs which have previously been blessed? 

 

I know someone who changed the "standard wording" when giving a blessing on the food. Instead of asking Heavenly Father to bless the food, he would say "I bless this food". When I asked him about this he explained that as a holder of the Priesthood, he could bless the food, and therefore didn't need to ask Heavenly Father to do it, and suggested that it might be wrong to ask Heavenly Father to do something he said we could do ourselves.

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Sometimes I feel like instead of asking the Lord to bless the food I'm about to eat that it will nourish and strengthen me, that I should apologize for the food I am about to eat, because I really know better and I'm eating it anyway.

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I know someone who changed the "standard wording" when giving a blessing on the food. Instead of asking Heavenly Father to bless the food, he would say "I bless this food". When I asked him about this he explained that as a holder of the Priesthood, he could bless the food, and therefore didn't need to ask Heavenly Father to do it, and suggested that it might be wrong to ask Heavenly Father to do something he said we could do ourselves.

 

Um...no. Just...no.

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Well, if your heart is in the right place and you are sincere, who cares if you get repetitive.  God gives me breath every day.  Should I apologize for thanking him every day?  

 

It's worth pointing out that the phrasing in the scriptures is "vain repetitions". I don't doubt some blessings on the food qualify, but I would think the solution would be to stop the vanity not pray less given the scriptures also talk of praying always.

Edited by Dravin
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So I joined my kid at lunch in his school last week... and his entire table prays before they eat their lunches... in the LDS manner... their table got known to be the Mormon table... (there is another Mormon kid on that table besides my son)... and, from what I gathered, the kids started noticing these 2 Mormons bowing their heads before they eat their packed lunches.  One of the kids asked if they're praying and my son said yes, and the other kid says he should do it aloud... and my kid says, okay, and so they both bow their heads while my son prays... well, after a few days of this, the other kids want in on it too... so now, they all take turns saying the prayer.  It was quite an experience hearing a non-Mormon kid saying, "Dear Heavenly Father... bless this food that it may nourish and strengthen our bodies... in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen" because I've associated that prayer with LDS.

 

Now... this is a public school... so, I mentioned it to the teachers who monitor lunchtime... and they said, they don't really care because all the kids in the table are doing it and there are no adults telling them to do it and that if they have a problem with it they can move to another table.

 

Okay, this is really not relevant to the OP, just thought it was interesting, that's all.

Edited by anatess
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But if we bless the lunch, and the same food is still on the table for dinner, do we need to bless it again? What's the situation when it comes to blessing left-overs which have previously been blessed?

I know someone who changed the "standard wording" when giving a blessing on the food. Instead of asking Heavenly Father to bless the food, he would say "I bless this food". When I asked him about this he explained that as a holder of the Priesthood, he could bless the food, and therefore didn't need to ask Heavenly Father to do it, and suggested that it might be wrong to ask Heavenly Father to do something he said we could do ourselves.

Regarding blessing the food "again". The food is still there, isn't it? No one stole it. It hasn't gone bad, has it? Your enemies have not poisoned it, have they? It's still nourishing, isn't it? It will prevent your going hungry, won't it?

There are myriad reasons to bless the food "again", or at least give thanks for it. You could request that it "continue" to bless you.

I see no issue with "vain repetition" here, as long as your heart is sufficiently meek and humble enough to realize that the food CONTINUES to be provided by God.

As with pretty much everything, it's all about intent.

It's sort of like tithing, to me. Some argue that tithing has already been paid on such and such an amount by someone else, so they question whether or not it's necessary to pay tithing on that same money "again".

The truth is that tithing isn't about scorekeeping what has or hasn't been paid on an amount. It's about whether YOU keep the commandment of tithing, or are you going to try to slide by with the excuse that it's already been paid on this amount.

Same with blessing the food. We are thankful for it once. Does that mean we are not thankful for it the next time it satisfies our hunger and gives us strength?

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