The 5-Word Blessing
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
“All the bread your soul has eaten has come down from heaven, and all the water it has drunk has flowed from the living rock—Christ Jesus the Lord.” – C.H. Spurgeon
I grew up saying the following “grace” before dinner each night…
“Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.” It is a commonly used meantime blessing used around the table in Catholic homes and some Protestant ones, like ours.
If you don’t believe me, just watch an episode of Blue Bloods…
Whereas that prayer readily acknowledges that God is our Provider, there is often something lacking when the same blessing is repeated time after time. I know that for me, I spent a lot less time focusing of God while saying grace than on what was on that night’s dinner menu.
For me, it’s better to pray spontaneously than by rote.
Possibly the most unique “grace” I ever heard was when Deanna and I were hosting a family friend who was also a traveling song evangelist. As we bowed our heads and folded our hands, our guest simply said, “Thank you God… for everything.”
He meant it – all five words – and dinner never tasted so good!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17 (ESV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
