Out for Supper and praying?

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Peter5

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I go out to eat at some restaurants, home or away at a recent friend’s house napping temporary location and I eat at this location. Well, I recently am getting more religious to see that I need to be humbled, yet retaining some lingering baptist or nondenominational practices and looking at the OT errors found in NT about jews that I need help on. If you pray over your food in front of a public or private group other than by yourself would this be considered a bad practice or good practice? Nobody can answer this cause in the Gospels Jesus Christ said that if you pray to close your door behind you cause what the jews did back then. Reminder the jews prayed openly in public for grace from other people and doing things for the instant gratitude from onlookers not from God. Sort of equivalent in my mind with endulgences of the olden life as well. So, what should I do like a silent prayer or public prayer? Recently I did a trinity prayer with the following quote "Dear Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and all the Saints in Heaven, it’s Peter bla, bla and bla and we are here to be greatful for the food you have given us. We are fortunate to live in the United States where food is plentyful and hopefully people in other countries that do with less will one day have the same. We eat this food to nororish our mind, bodies and souls. In your name Jesus Christ.
So, am I doing right or what should be advised? Sort of simular with the debate I saw on this forum or one like it about the rosary beads right? I mean that if you abuse it for the sake of other people seeing you then its no longer holy. My mind though in the translation world sense needs to quit thinking physical though. I mean like hearing God or Jesus Christ coming from my prospective has always been like a physical sense. I know I need faith and I’m building on my faith just am muddled right now that is all. Thanks you guys for any advice in this respect and perhaps this could help others in the same bind as me.

God bless,s
 
Peter5 said:
I go out to eat at some restaurants, home or away at a recent friend’s house napping temporary location and I eat at this location. Well, I recently am getting more religious to see that I need to be humbled, yet retaining some lingering baptist or nondenominational practices and looking at the OT errors found in NT about jews that I need help on. If you pray over your food in front of a public or private group other than by yourself would this be considered a bad practice or good practice? Nobody can answer this cause in the Gospels Jesus Christ said that if you pray to close your door behind you cause what the jews did back then. Reminder the jews prayed openly in public for grace from other people and doing things for the instant gratitude from onlookers not from God. Sort of equivalent in my mind with endulgences of the olden life as well. So, what should I do like a silent prayer or public prayer? Recently I did a trinity prayer with the following quote "Dear Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and all the Saints in Heaven, it’s Peter bla, bla and bla and we are here to be greatful for the food you have given us. We are fortunate to live in the United States where food is plentyful and hopefully people in other countries that do with less will one day have the same. We eat this food to nororish our mind, bodies and souls. In your name Jesus Christ.
So, am I doing right or what should be advised? Sort of simular with the debate I saw on this forum or one like it about the rosary beads right? I mean that if you abuse it for the sake of other people seeing you then its no longer holy. My mind though in the translation world sense needs to quit thinking physical though. I mean like hearing God or Jesus Christ coming from my prospective has always been like a physical sense. I know I need faith and I’m building on my faith just am muddled right now that is all. Thanks you guys for any advice in this respect and perhaps this could help others in the same bind as me.

God bless,s
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Well,Jesus did teach us to close our door and pray in silence,but He wos telling us that we shall not do as some jewish groups did,and still do. I personaly see no harm in praying so that others see. That is not wrong,St.Paul teach that we shall not do something that makes others feel bad,so I think it is clever to use common sence,if You eat out whit friends belongin to other religions,or not belive in God but in for example,Allah,You can hurt the feelings of the others,and that is not what we shall do. A christian avoid must avoid hurting others,so God wont mind if You don’t pray before dinner if the time or place is not rigth. You may thank God for the food in silence,because God here us best in silence. Time after time I try to make people understand that the prayers we say each day is importen,they keep us close to Jesus,as also a regulary attending mass. But less is moore. A prayer said because it is time to do so is usless if You don’t meen what You say,or Your mind is not in the prayer. Then it is easier to just say a short pray and include that “right now I don’t have peace to pray”,Jesus will understand,for what He wants us to do is our best,and we are human so from time to time we cant be perfect. My advice,and only my,is that You pray in silence,whitout words,because God hears what we think,and what we have in our heart. And for public praying,in church we pray whit all others,like in many places that we go to as catholics,or other christian church-members. So,common sence,don’t hurt anyones feelings or faith,and less is moore. Blessings,Totterman.
 
I don’t think it is ever “wrong” to give God thanks. If you happen to be with someone of a different faith, perhaps you might offer a more inclusive prayer by offering thanks yourself, and then letting your friend (of a different faith) offer their own part of the prayer. (But if you go last you can tack on IN Jesus’s Name we pray…:rolleyes:)

I think Jesus was trying to teach us not to pray to (try to) glorify ourselves, but to give the Glory to God who deserves it.

Wouldn’t it be a better place in the world if at some point, we all offer up some sort of prayer together to give God thanks instead of our constant fighting?
 
His_little1 said:
I don’t think it is ever “wrong” to give God thanks. If you happen to be with someone of a different faith, perhaps you might offer a more inclusive prayer by offering thanks yourself, and then letting your friend (of a different faith) offer their own part of the prayer. (But if you go last you can tack on IN Jesus’s Name we pray…:rolleyes:)

I think Jesus was trying to teach us not to pray to (try to) glorify ourselves, but to give the Glory to God who deserves it.

Wouldn’t it be a better place in the world if at some point, we all offer up some sort of prayer together to give God thanks instead of our constant fighting?
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Remember, prayers don’t always have to be said out loud.
 
I always try to pray as a group when eating out. If it’s with my family it’s just the same as at home. If it’s with a friend of a differing faith I ask if they mind if we say grace, if they do mind, and Yes I have gotten that, I will say it silently, with the sign of the cross as always, so as not to offend my company.
My company applies to those who eat with me, I’m not about to ask every table if they mind if I say grace. I consider each table an isolated little world. 🙂
 
I think it’s a good question. Personally, I think we should bless our food in public. Sometimes it needs to be done silently, but a bowing of the head and the sign of the cross is fine. I don’t think that most people who thank the Lord for their food and ask for his blessing are looking to have others praise them or talk about how wonderful they are, like the pharisees in the parable that Jesus related. It is a simple form of thanks, of remembering were our food and other gifts ultimately come from.

It can also be a quiet way of witnessing to others. I’ve had people ask me about my faith after seeing me make the sign of the cross at a meal. I’ve also heard enough conversations to know that other people notice someone praying at a meal in public and it often gets them thinking about their faith or lack thereof. Sometimes I think people don’t pray over the meals publically, not out of a sense of being falsely religious, but because they are embarrassed – which is sad. I don’t think a lot of us make the sign of the cross enough (and that includes me). I read a passage written during the early ages of the church and it mentioned how they made the sign of the cross at everything they did… in their rising, in their lying down, in their labors, etc. Not to do it out of habit, but as a physical reminder of doing everything in our day, for and with Christ.
 
Obviously, Jesus gave thanks for the bread before feeding the multitude (Matt. 14:19), so there is no prohibition on praying over a meal to be eaten in public.

We don’t pray out loud at restaurants in our family, but we each make a sign of the cross and say grace privately. We try to strike a balance between not hiding and yet not appearing to show off a pious practice for the consumption of others. There are other ways to do it; that is what we do.
 
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