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NASB | 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 Thessalonians 5:17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; |
Bible Question:
Are Christ followers supposed to pray out loud before EVERY meal? It seems like a ritual to me rather than a heart felt prayer and I remember reading a scripture somewhere in the new testament that we ought not to pray out loud in public such as the pharisees but rather in private. I know of Bible examples of praying before eating but should we make it a required rule? Isn't that being legalistic? Thanks, Chusarcik |
Bible Answer: Is praying required before every meal? My first question is: *IF* praying is required before every meal, what clear verse of Scripture commands that it be done? There are interpretations and there are interpretations. However, sin is defined as the transgression of the Law. Which of the 613 laws and commandments found in the Teachings of Moses requires prayer before every meal? Meals are frequently taken in public. What DOES the Bible say about praying in public? Matthew 6:5-6 Amplified Bible 5 Also when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full already. 6 But when you pray, go into your [most] private room, and, closing the door, pray to your Father, Who is in secret; and your Father, Who sees in secret, will reward you in the open. On the other hand, many believers feel that to say grace before a meal in a restaurant is a good witness to one's faith in Christ and, conversely, not to say grace aloud, whether in public or in private, is to be ungrateful and a poor witness. I would not be legalistic about this question one way or the other. God looks at the heart. In the absence of a clear verse of Scripture either commanding or prohibiting praying in public before meals, it would seem that each one's motive, not the act itself or lack thereof, becomes the most important thing to consider. In short, who are we to forbid that which the Bible does not condemn or to require that which the Bible does not command? |