Why do Christians, when sitting down to meals, begin by praying? The appropriate thing on accepting a gift is to give thanks. The Christian recognizes God as the giver of his food, and therefore he should render thanks to Him. This indeed is in harmony with Scripture: “Meats [meals]” are “created to be received with thanksgiving of them who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim. 4:3).
Our Creator
The man of the world regards his food as the product of a machine or institution which he calls nature, but the Christian goes beyond this and recognizes the Creator of the entire system of nature. Further, he not only believes that there is such a Creator, but he knows Him; he is actually in communion with Him “by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:5). Mr. Darby’s translation of this phrase is “by God’s word and freely addressing [Him],” and his note on this rendering is illuminative of the subject. He says, “This I believe to be the sense here: enteuxis [prayer or addressing God] means communication with a person, then ‘petitions and intercession’; one person speaking personally to another. ... I believe the creature, fallen through Adam, belongs to the faithful and those who know the truth, by God’s speaking to us and our freely speaking to Him. This has set all on a new footing, because we have met God again, the Word of God having put us into communication by grace. And ‘the faithful and those who know the truth’ have availed themselves of it and come and enter into intercourse. It is no longer by nature, but by the Word of God.”
Sanctification
Scripture says that “every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.” The current idea is that each meal needs to be prayed about, before it can properly be partaken of. But the contrary is the truth: It is sanctified by the fact of the new position in which the Christian stands. “All things are yours ... the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours” (1 Cor. 3:22). The action on our part which Scripture enjoins is not prayer but thanksgiving. “If it be received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:4). It is “created to be received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:3). Thus the Christian’s meal table becomes an altar of praise, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.
Thanksgiving
When we give thanks at the meal table, the thanksgiving is on the basis of redemption, for we do not receive God’s gifts only on the original ground of creation, but because of the cross of Christ. All things are ours because of Christ’s work. We may freely address Him with thanksgiving. God could not, as righteous, give the smallest benefit to a sinner, unless His righteousness in doing so had been satisfied. Therefore it is on account of the propitiation of Christ that our daily mercies come to us, and indeed not only to us, but to the world. This is the basis on which God “maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” The man of the world little dreams that he owes his food and raiment and every good that he enjoys to the despised atonement of Christ, but God would be exhibiting indulgence to sin if He did it otherwise. It is in this regard that “Christ ... is the propitiation for the whole world” (1 John 2:22And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. (John 2:2)). Men are allowed to continue in life upon the earth and are afforded the free use of God’s magnificent creation (magnificent, though marred) because of the propitiation of Christ, and it is in this sense that God is Saviour (Preserver) of all men, specially of those who believe (1 Tim. 4:10). Temporal salvation, not eternal, is what this text refers to.
Prayer in Public
If now the offering of thanksgiving glorifies God, shall we refrain from this when we are in public, say at a restaurant or other public table? No doubt this may seem difficult to the flesh, but it is at once an open confession of Christ. We should recall to our minds the Lord’s precious words, “Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God” (Luke 12:88Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: (Luke 12:8)). Paul, on board ship, “took bread and gave thanks to God, in presence of them all [the ship’s company]” (Acts 27:3535And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. (Acts 27:35)). Daniel kneeled upon his knees and prayed at his open window, as he had done aforetime, three times a day, although at the penalty of death.
Thus this slight matter of thanksgiving at meals may afford to us a test of where we really are, as to the power of God in our souls. “I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will,” says Paul, “and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:19-20).
E. J. Thomas (adapted)