Family Saying Prayer Before Eating Roast Dinner

by Linda Veath

It’s often called the Common Table Prayer. Many know it as a Lutheran prayer. Some attribute it to Martin Luther but that is highly speculative. Chances are most of us have said it at some point in time in our lives. My parents said it before every meal.

Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest

And let Thy gifts to us be blest. Amen.

First published in a Moravian Hymnal in 1753, this simple prayer has had many variations in its second line—“these gifts” or “this food” or “Thy food” or “this meal.” However worded, we are asking Jesus to be our guest and bless the gifts He has given us.

And I wonder. Maybe that prayer isn’t just for meals. Could it also be used for the activities of our day?

✙ What if we asked Jesus to be our guest and bless the TV shows or movies we are going to watch?

✙ What if we asked Him to be our guest and bless the books we choose to read? Or the music we listen to?

✙ What if we asked Jesus to be our guest and bless our time at the golf course? Or the baseball game? Or where we go after work?

✙ What if we asked Jesus to be our guest and bless our decisions about bill paying and spending money?

✙ What if we asked Him to be our guest and bless our worship, Bible study, prayer time?

Puts things in a different perspective, doesn’t it? At least it does for me.

Why don’t we use this simple prayer for our meals this week (yes, even those in public places) AND all the other activities we do. Something tells me that having Jesus as our guest will certainly make a difference in our day.