Tag: Table Prayers and Graces

Prayers at Table
Before the Meal

Almighty God, the eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. Bless the earthly bounty you have provided now before us. Let these nourish and strengthen our frail bodies, that we may better serve you; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [1]

or thus:

Let your blessing, almighty God, descend on this portion of your bounty, and on us, your unworthy servants; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [2]

or thus:

Almighty God, pardon our sins, bless the refreshment now before us to our use, and bless us to your service; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [3]

or thus:

Father of lights, every good and perfect gift comes down from you. Enable us to receive these fruits of your bounty with humility and gratitude, and give us grace, that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to your glory, and be accepted  through the great Redeemer. Amen. [4]

or thus:

Bounteous God, we acknowledge our dependence on you and our unworthiness of your benefits. Forgive our sins, bless us in the reception of this food, and enable us to improve the strength we may derive from it to your glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen. [5]

or thus:

O Lord, sanctify your gifts to our use, and us to your service, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [6]

or thus:

We praise you, O God, for covering our table with plenty, and for the present opportunity of partaking of your bounties. Nourish our bodies with these provisions of your hand, and our souls with the bread of life, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [7]

or thus:

We thank you, heavenly Father, for this portion of your bounty. You daily supply our returning wants, despite our ungratefulness. Help us to be deeply sensible of your goodness and mercy. Bless the provision now before us to our use, forgive our sins, and in the end save us through Christ, our Lord. Amen. [8]

or thus:

Father of mercies, we praise you for permitting us again to sit down and partake of the provisions of your earthly bounty. Feed our souls with the bread of life. Pardon our numerous offenses, and own us at last in heaven for Christ’s sake. Amen. [9]

or thus:

Bountiful giver of all good and perfect gifts, you are never weary of supplying our returning wants. Grant that the food of which we are about to partake may contribute to the comfort and support of our bodies, and enable us to engage with more zeal in your service, we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen. [10]

After the Meal

What shall we return to you, O God, for all your benefits? Every day of our lives we are receiving fresh tokens of your favor. Oh, let your goodness lead us to repentance. And if we can do no more than express our gratitude, help us to do that in the sincerity of our souls, and yours shall be the glory, forever; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [11]

or thus:

Accept, heavenly Father, our humble thanks for this and for all your blessings; through Jesus Christ. Amen. [12]

or thus:

We praise you , O Lord, for the provisions of your providence and grace, and in particular for this renewed token of your favor. May we feel our increased obligations to be your, and be prepared at last to eat bread in your heavenly kingdom; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. [13]

or thus:

We praise you, O Lord, for this kind refreshment. Continue your favors, and feed us with the bread of life. Supply the wants of the needy; and enable us, while we live on your bounty, to live to your glory; for Christ’s sake. Amen. [14]

or thus:

We praise and magnify your holy name, O Lord, for this and all other blessings bestowed on us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [15]

or thus:

O God, for all your mercies, for the food that supports our bodies and the grace that sustains our souls we bless and praise your holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [16]

Source: Prayers for the use of families… by Albert Barnes, 1850

In traditional English:

Prayers at Table
Before Meat

Almighty God ! the eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Bless, we beseech thee, the provisions of thine earthly bounty, which are now before us; and let them nourish and strengthen our frail bodies, that we may the better serve thee, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

or thus:

Let thy blessing, Almighty God, descend on this portion of thy bounty, and on us, thy unworthy servants, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

Almighty God, we beseech thee to pardon our sins, to bless the refreshment now before us to our use, and us to thy service, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good and perfect gift, enable us to receive these fruits of thy bounty with humility and gratitude, and give us grace, that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to thy glory, and be accepted
through the great Redeemer. Amen.

or thus:

Bounteous God, we acknowledge our dependence on thee, and our unworthiness of thy benefits. We pray thee to forgive our sins ; to bless us in the reception of this food, and enable us to improve the strength we may derive from it to thy glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

or thus:

Sanctify, O Lord, we beseech thee, these thy productions to our use, and us to thy service, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

We bless thee, O God, for covering our table with plenty, and for the present opportunity of partaking of thy bounties. Nourish our bodies with these provisions of thy hand, and our souls with the bread of life, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

We thank thee, heavenly Father, for this portion of thy bounty. Thou dost daily supply our returning wants, notwithstanding our ungratefulness. Oh help us to be deeply sensible of thy goodness and mercy. Bless the provision now before us to our use, forgive our sins, and in the end save us through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

Father of mercies, we praise thee for permitting us again to sit down and partake of the provisions of thine earthly bounty. Do thou feed our souls with the bread of life. Pardon our numerous offenses, and own us at last in heaven for Christ’s sake. Amen.

or thus:

Bountiful giver of all good and perfect gifts! thou art never weary of supplying our returning wants. Grant, we pray thee, that the food of which we are about to partake, may contribute to the comfort and support of our bodies, and enable us to engage with
more zeal in thy service, which we ask, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

AFTER MEAT.
What shall we render to thee, O God, for all thy benefits? Every day of our lives we are receiving fresh tokens of thy favor. Oh, let thy goodness lead us to repentance. And if we can do no more than express our gratitude, help us to do that in the sincerity of our souls, and thine shall be the glory, forever, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

Accept, heavenly Father, our humble thanks for this and for all thy blessings, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

We praise thee, O Lord, for the provisions of thy providence and grace, and in particular for this renewed token of thy favor. May we feel our increased obligations to be thine, and be fitted at length to eat bread in thy heavenly kingdom, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

or thus:

We bless thee, O Lord, for this kind refreshment. Be pleased to continue thy favors, and feed us with the bread of life. Supply the wants of the needy; and enable us, while we live on thy bounty, to live to thy glory, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

or thus:

We would praise and magnify thy holy name, O Lord, for this and all other blessings bestowed upon us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

or thus:

O God, for all thy mercies for the food that supports our bodies and the grace that sustains our souls, we bless and praise thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.