Saying grace.

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Timofree

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Firstly it's important to point out, giving thanks to God is a good thing!
But personally, looking back I used to say grace before eating as a religious duty, I wasn't concerned too much with thanking God, but somehow I had it in my mind, if I didn't say grace God would curse the food and me :s
Even though I had lived the majority of my 26 years as a non Christian, not saying grace, and generally feeling fine!

Another thing that made me realise it was a religious duty was thinking about the size of what I was eating, if I took a biscuit I wouldn't solemnly pause and ask God's blessing upon it, fearing His wrath, however if it was savoury and a normal lunch sized portion I would. We'll eat blessed lunch but not blessed biscuits??!

Chains of religion *snap* in Jesus name!

So by all means say grace, and be thankful..........but if you don't say it, and you feel condemned, that isn't from God- Romans 8:1

If you agree, God bless you, if you don't, God bless you. Shalom on your life ;)
 
Romans 14:6
New Living Translation (NLT)
6*Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

I found more verses, but I am having trouble posting them all. For me my childhood family only prayed before eating during special meals. With my family,my husband and I have started, we pray before most meals. Occasionally forgetting myself, but my kids remember. Every dinner we pray sometimes together and sometimes to ourselves. I remind the kids this is not something we do out of habit, you are speaking to God. My son who is seven sometimes grounds himself enough to speak to him and the rest of the time is a Speedy Gonzales prayerer with one eye open. My daughter who is ten tends to speak more intimately with God. My two year old son does not talk but he folds his hands together and bows his head, also with one eye open, and prays with the family. If we pray individually he prays with each person. He doesn't speak so we taught him how to sign thank you Jesus, which he does.

My point is, the people who taught you are human, and I am human which means I am going to make mistakes my kids are going to have to overcome. I hope they never use them as a crutch of any kind. I try hard to not associate any negative with our Lord. I hope they feel as though they are willing to do whatever God says and not just the things mom and dad or whomever made them not do, or do.
 
answers said:
Romans 14:6
New Living Translation (NLT)
6*Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.

I found more verses, but I am having trouble posting them all. For me my childhood family only prayed before eating during special meals. With my family,my husband and I have started, we pray before most meals. Occasionally forgetting myself, but my kids remember. Every dinner we pray sometimes together and sometimes to ourselves. I remind the kids this is not something we do out of habit, you are speaking to God. My son who is seven sometimes grounds himself enough to speak to him and the rest of the time is a Speedy Gonzales prayerer with one eye open. My daughter who is ten tends to speak more intimately with God. My two year old son does not talk but he folds his hands together and bows his head, also with one eye open, and prays with the family. If we pray individually he prays with each person. He doesn't speak so we taught him how to sign thank you Jesus, which he does.

My point is, the people who taught you are human, and I am human which means I am going to make mistakes my kids are going to have to overcome. I hope they never use them as a crutch of any kind. I try hard to not associate any negative with our Lord. I hope they feel as though they are willing to do whatever God says and not just the things mom and dad or whomever made them not do, or do.
Click to expand...

thank you for that answers, I'd not picked up on that verse before. And I hadn't thought of the effect it could have on non Christians, as it might be their only time to say a prayer...........

But if anyone like I used to, says grace out of a wrong fear of God, as I thought He would curse me. Then carry on saying it, but think about your motives :) thanks again!
 
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