Multifaith Mealtime Prayers

If food is for the nourishment of our bodies, then prayer must be for the nourishment of our souls. And what better appetizer to a delicious meal could there be than a prayer of gratitude?

Gratitude for God's Goodness

Jewish

Praised are You, our God, Ruler of the universe, who in goodness, with grace, kindness, and mercy, feeds the entire world. He provides bread for all creatures, for His kindness is never-ending. And because of His magnificent greatness we have never wanted for food, nor will we ever want for food, to the end of time.

For His great name, because He is God who feeds and provides for all, and who does good to all by preparing food for all of His creatures whom He created: Praised are You, God, who feeds all.

--likemike

Giving Thanks

Christian

Thank you, Father, for bread and meat.
Thank you for the friends we meet.
Thank you for our moms and dads.
Thank you for the love we have.
Thank you for our work and play.
Thank you for another day.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

--billybud

Dedicating Food

Buddhist

May this food be dedicated to the
triple jewel:
The precious Buddha
The precious Dharma
The precious Sangha


Bless this food so we may take it
as medicine
Free from attachment and desire
So that it may nourish our bodies
So we may work for the benefit of all
sentient beings.

--DrunkenMoon

Praise to Allah for Sufficiency

Muslim

"All praises are due to Allah who gave us sufficient food to eat and who satiated our thirst while such food is needed (by us) all the time and while we are not ungrateful (to Allah)."

--Noggin786

Blessing Over Bread

Earth-based

Mother of Plenty, bless this bread
Father of the Grain, lend your seed
Let it nourish heart and head
Let it nourish thought and deed
Let its breaking be a spell
That hungry mouths be fed as well
And let its eating keep us free
As is our will
So mote it be!

--vie13

For Fruits of the Earth

Earth-based

Blessed be the Earth for giving birth to this food
Blessed be the Sun for nourishing it
Blessed be the Wind for carrying
its seed
Blessed be the Rain for quenching
its thirst.

Blessed be the hands that helped to grow this food,
To bring it to our tables
To nourish our minds, bodies,
and spirits.

Blessed be our friends, our families, and our loved ones.
Blessed Be.

--Magdalen6

Thanking the Great Spirit

Native American

We thank the Great Spirit for the resources that made this food possible; we thank the Earth Mother for producing it, and we thank all those who labored to bring it to us. May the wholesomeness of the food before us, bring out the wholeness of the Spirit within us.

--revwhiteeagle

Thanks We Offer

Multifaith

Heavenly Father, kind and good,
Thanks we offer for this food;
For Thy love and tender care,
For all the blessings that we share.
Amen.

--MCWinters