PARENTS > GENERAL RESOURCES > TEACHING YOUR CHILD TO PRAY

Mealtime Prayers

Goals

Before starting a mealtime routine, think about what you're trying to accomplish.  You don't want mealtime prayers to be like pulling teeth.  We want to remind our children (and ourselves) that we're thankful for God and what God has given us!

Prayers don’t have to be:
  • Solemn
  • Overly pious
  • Long-winded
  • Big words that are hard to pronounce or understand

Make it fun!

Ways to make mealtime prayers more engaging:
  • Keep them short!
  • Sing songs
  • Make up motions to go with them
  • Use rhyming blessings
  • Hold hands around the table
  • End them with a hearty “AMEN!”

The Can’t-Fail-Thankful Prayer

While holding hands, each person says one thing they are thankful for from that day. When one person is done, they squeeze the hand of the next person to signal that it is his/her turn. You’ll be amazed that after practicing this for just a few days your kids will find it easier and easier to think of things they are thankful for. 

Rhyming Graces

There are many rhyming mealtime prayers you can find online.  For example:
Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything. 

Sung Prayers

Try some of these!

Bless us O Lord...

You can always use this standard that you may have learned as a child:

Bless us O Lord and these thy gifts
Which we are about to receive through thy bounty
Through Christ our Lord.  Amen

Books

You may want to sometimes use a book of children's/meal prayers to give some variety.  Here are some we use: