Help with saying the blessing at our Christmas dinner

[*Living~By~Faith*]

I didn't know where to put this, so I'm just putting it here.

My prayer life has greatly improved over the past few weeks, but I still don't like praying out loud around others. I have gotten to where I will pray out loud when others are around, but in a whisper. I would like to say the blessing at our Christmas dinner. But I have never prayed out loud with others around before. I need help in knowing what to say. I know I need to bless the food. Give thanks to the Lord for all that He's done for us. I also want to mention the true meaning of Christmas in my prayer, but I don't know what exactly to say.

[Big T]

To me it's simple. I like to keep it short.

I usually say thanks for the food that He has provided, the friends and family that have gathered round the table and ask for Him to bless us.

I pretty much keep it the exact same as I do for every meal.

My opinion, keep it short and to the point. No need to use fancy words and to be elaborate. Just short and sweet.

[tango]

If you've got family around it doesn't hurt to thank God for the chance to get together, thank God for sending Jesus, thank God for the food, and pray for blessings.

[unkerns]

Be real with your prayer, it doesnt need to feel like its right off of a script, talk to the Lord like hes another person (of course a very very highly glorified person) And if you need to, pray like Jesus told us too "Our father"

[*Living~By~Faith*]

Our family dinner is tomorrow and I'm still nervous about how to say the blessing. How do I start it off? Heavenly father? How do I end it? In Jesus' name? How do I include something about Jesus being the reason that we are celebrating Christmas?

I want to type up a prayer to get an idea of what I want to say because I can "say" something much better in writing than out loud. It helps to get my thoughts together. But I've been stuck on trying to do that.

[karenoka27]

When you pray, you are talking to the Lord our God, not to the people around you. Direct your thankfulness for all you have including your family towards Him.

Praying for you. Hope you have a great day!

[unkerns]

Its not a matter of what you say, rather the heart your saying it with. Do you think your friends or family would like you to read to them of how your glad to have them in your life or rather tell them from the heart?, how about the Lord that created you.

[Big T]

I just remembered a story I heard.

At a youth group that would meet on a regular basis, kids were asked to pray. So as they were doing "popcorn" prayers, the leader noticed one kid never prayed. So he talked to him about it. And the kid said he was too embarassed because everyone prayed so eloquently. The leader told the kid that it didn't matter how fancy the prayer was. The kid still wouldn't pray and so the leader started shortening his prayers.

Finally in one meeting when everyone was praying, this kid finally spoke up. After kids lifted up prayers for safe travel for family, parents financial issues and so on... this kid simply said, "thank you"

The youth group leader took the kid aside, afterwards, and told him that this kid has learned the true meaning of prayer.

The point.... simplicity

[tango]

Our family dinner is tomorrow and I'm still nervous about how to say the blessing. How do I start it off? Heavenly father? How do I end it? In Jesus' name? How do I include something about Jesus being the reason that we are celebrating Christmas?

I want to type up a prayer to get an idea of what I want to say because I can "say" something much better in writing than out loud. It helps to get my thoughts together. But I've been stuck on trying to do that.

Pray from the heart.

Whether you start out with "Heavenly Father", "Father", "Lord", "Lord Jesus" or whatever else doesn't matter.

Thank God for bringing the family together, thank God for sending Jesus to the world, thank God for the food, pray for blessings. Then say Amen.

Seriously, nobody's going to be keeping score and rating how "good" a prayer you say.

[*Living~By~Faith*]

I think the reason this is bothering me is because I want to make sure to say something about celebrating Jesus' birth or something about Jesus, but just don't know how to add that into the prayer. I have two nieces that I doubt know the true meaning of Christmas. I just want to make mention of it so that hopefully it'll plant a nugget into their parents because they won't let their girls go to church. So I want them to be able to hear about Jesus.

I also don't know what order I should say things. Should I give thanks for the food first, or for our family being able to gather together, or for Jesus? I just don't know about that. But I'll give thanks for those things as well as for the blessings that we have received this year as well as the one we'll receive in the next year. Something along those lines.

But when someone blesses the food they usually make some kind of comment about it being nourishment for our bodies.

I hear many people saying... Lord, Lord Jesus, Father, God or Father God over and over again when they are praying out loud. But I'm not someone that does that with my prayers yet. So I don't know how I would incorporate that into a prayer.

[MyRock]

The order doesn't matter at all.
What you say doesn't matter at all.
A safe bet though if you're struggling would be to thank God for the food provided and for sending His Son to earth to save us all.

That would be fine I reckon

**EDIT**
Oh and by the way....God Himself will plant the nugget in your nieces minds however you pray. The fact is...you ARE praying! That is enough to make them think if they never see it at home on a regular basis.

[tango]

I think the reason this is bothering me is because I want to make sure to say something about celebrating Jesus' birth or something about Jesus, but just don't know how to add that into the prayer. I have two nieces that I doubt know the true meaning of Christmas. I just want to make mention of it so that hopefully it'll plant a nugget into their parents because they won't let their girls go to church. So I want them to be able to hear about Jesus.

I also don't know what order I should say things. Should I give thanks for the food first, or for our family being able to gather together, or for Jesus? I just don't know about that. But I'll give thanks for those things as well as for the blessings that we have received this year as well as the one we'll receive in the next year. Something along those lines.

But when someone blesses the food they usually make some kind of comment about it being nourishment for our bodies.

I hear many people saying... Lord, Lord Jesus, Father, God or Father God over and over again when they are praying out loud. But I'm not someone that does that with my prayers yet. So I don't know how I would incorporate that into a prayer.

It seems to me you're still worrying about your prayer being word-perfect. It really doesn't matter. If you thank God for your family being together, and thank God for the food, it doesn't matter which way around you do it.

Worrying about how many times to say "Father", "Lord" etc is also fruitless. What matters is your intent. If you muddle the words a little that doesn't matter.

Mat 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
Mat 6:8 "Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

The point is, it can be short and to the point. It doesn't matter what order you give thanks for things, it doesn't matter if you don't say "Father" a certain number of times. It's not like a competition where your prayer is marked out of 10, God knows the desires of your heart and your intentions even before you open your mouth.

Also remember if there was something you meant to say and forgot to say it, nobody else there will know that you meant to say it.

[*Living~By~Faith*]

I said the blessing and I guess I said it okay. I think I stumbled a bit because I was nervous since it was the first time I said a prayer around others.

[karenoka27]

I said the blessing and I guess I said it okay. I think I stumbled a bit because I was nervous since it was the first time I said a prayer around others.

The Lord heard you.....

[MyRock]

It will get easier with time...praying aloud.

You did good. Really pleased for you.