Bless us, O Lord,
and these your gifts,
which we are about to receive from your goodness.
Make us ever grateful for your daily provision,
mindful of those who lack,
and faithful stewards of all that you give.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PROTESTANT PROTESTANT DEVOTIONAL TRADITION
Grace Before Meals
Also known as Table Grace · Blessing Before a Meal · Protestant Table Prayer
About this prayer
Saying grace before meals is a practice rooted in both Jewish and Christian tradition. Jesus himself gave thanks before eating (Matthew 14:19; 15:36; 26:26) and Paul instructs that everything received from God should be received with thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4-5). Luther's Small Catechism appointed a table prayer before and after meals for Lutheran households. The practice of a brief grace before meals has remained a constant feature of Protestant household piety, taking many forms from the simplest rhymed prayer for children to fuller expressions of thanksgiving for God's provision. Grace before meals frames the ordinary act of eating as an act of worship.
When it's said
Grace before meals is said by Protestant and many other Christian families and individuals before every meal. It is one of the most widely practiced daily prayers in Christianity across all traditions and continents. In many churches, schools, and Christian institutions a form of grace is said before communal meals. Children often learn this prayer as their first experience of leading prayer in the family setting.
Notes on the text
The petition to be 'mindful of those who lack' is a Protestant development of the simple table blessing, reflecting the social dimension of Christian thanksgiving: gratitude for one's own provision carries with it awareness of others' need. 'Faithful stewards of all that you give' frames eating within the broader Christian doctrine of stewardship, in which all material goods are held in trust from God. The structure of the prayer, blessing then thanksgiving then petition, mirrors the pattern of the Lord's Prayer.
Source
Protestant devotional tradition; cf. Martin Luther, Small Catechism, 1529. Public domain.
Last reviewed: May 2026 against primary source.