Do you pray at meals?

[KSchwagg86]

Do you pray before dinner and other meals? And beyond that, if you go out to lunch with someone (a co-worker, a friend), do you ask to pray for the meal, pray silently to yourself or just skip praying altogether?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Yup. Always. If I'm with people I know aren't into it, I do it silently and sometimes it is just a half-second of "thanks", but I always do it. Nobody has to know for it to count, AFAIAC.

 

[dizzy203]

no - only on Thanksgiving

 

[Amy&Dan]

We say grace at dinner when we are home. I said just the other day, we should just do this all the time, heck, I am more thankful when somebody else cooks the food!

 

[XYSRUS]

No, but my 11 yo son does-at ALL meals. Always makes me feel a little guilty.

 

[wdhinn89]

Yes, at dinner. If we are with other people, we just pray to ourselves.

 

[HSMndLKfan92]

I consider myself agnostic, so I don't. However, for major family meals, my aunts and uncles put the pressure on me to say grace because I'm the youngest in the family. I decline to lead grace, but if someone else starts a prayer before a meal, I listen in.

 

[CharityLynn]

Nope, nevr really have. Didn't when we were growing up at all. On occassion we do it at my mother in laws but normally just for a Holiday dinner.

 

[happygirl]

Not like we should

 

[clgwli]

I do and I usually do it silently unless at home alone with my family. I don't believe in making a public show out of it so others are possibly uncomfortable.

 

[chisnpeke]

I'm ashamed to say I don't.

When we go to my uncles' for Thanksgiving or Christmas he always has prayer before the meal and the year my grandpa died was the worst. It was nearly SEVEN minutes. My mom and I had been talking about how long his prayers were lasting in the car before we got there and when he just kept going on about dead aunts and uncles I had never even met we just lost it and started to laugh.

 

[binny]

Yup. Always. If I'm with people I know aren't into it, I do it silently and sometimes it is just a half-second of "thanks", but I always do it. Nobody has to know for it to count, AFAIAC.

me too

 

[goofyernmost]

No, and I won't lie and say that I am ashamed of it. I have always been a supporter of personal prayer. A meal time prayer hits me as rehearsed and eventually meaningless, said primarily out of habit. Anyway...no, never!

 

[Sorsha]

Another vote here for "Agnostic, and NOPE".
I have trained my children, however, to be respectful and bow their heads and close their eyes if someone we are dining with wants to pray. DH's family is all pretty religious, so this comes into play at holidays and family get-togethers. Just another chance to teach them that evryone has different beliefs and we are to respect them.

 

[perla75]

No, but we are Jewish & not super religious.

We do participate in blessings during major holidays & the occassional Shabbat.

If I am at a Christian friend's house for dinner & they pray at meals, I will usually lower my head to be respectful but will remain silent.

 

[Judy Judy Judy]

I am thankful for every meal that I eat ,with times like they are I've been making a point to pray before every meal, last year it was hit and miss but this year I want to give thanks at every meal that I have ( and that's a lot) hehe.

 

[lisadr]

No-but I do do the HFD=Happy Food Dance

 

[MariDisney]

We pray before all our meals. If I am out with people who do not usually pray, I do it silently, and I'm sure they don't even know. If I am out with like-minded friends then we all pray together.

 

[Buckalew11]

Yup. Always. If I'm with people I know aren't into it, I do it silently and sometimes it is just a half-second of "thanks", but I always do it. Nobody has to know for it to count, AFAIAC.

Us too. For the most part, anyone I go out to eat with would not be offended or anything so it isn't an issue. If we are with people that we are not real close to and don't know how they'd feel, DH will usually ask if they care if he prays. It has never been an issue though.

Growing up, we did not except at a holiday where one of us kids was asked to do it. By the time I was in middle school, it was me taking the lead in my home. I don't think I ever heard my father bless the food even though he was a Christian. He was never comfortable saying a prayer aloud. That was not a big issue to me either.

 

[Catzeyes]

Yes always with family and if I am alone with friends then silently.