There is one very simple opportunity many people get that they tend to underestimate the impact it can have. That is asking the blessing at a meal.
Sometimes, when you’re with someone, and they sense they ought to ask a blessing, perhaps because you’re there, they go one step further and say, “Would you like to return thanks?” I always welcome that kind of opportunity because it’s such a good way to present the gospel. I’ve found several things that are important.
One, it’s important to realize that you’re actually blessing the Lord, not the food. When you look in Scripture, the psalmist blesses the Lord for who He is, and the benefits we receive from His hand are because of that. So when I return thanks, I’m making it clear in my prayer that we’re praising God for being such a giver of all good gifts. And then I mention that the food in front of us is an indication of how good He is. I even mention in my prayer how grateful we are that He gives us what we don’t deserve and gives it to us in abundance.
With that thought in mind, it then allows me to say something to the extent of, “And Lord, we thank you for the greatest gift you’ve ever given us – the gift of eternal life by allowing your Son to die on a cross as our substitute, take the punishment for our sins, and rise again. And we thank you as we trust in Him alone as our only way to heaven, we can have the greatest gift of all, eternal life.”
In so doing, I’ve shared the gospel very informally, being careful to mention it’s a free gift because of what Christ did on the cross. I then close my prayer with what I started, by thanking God for being such a giver of all good gifts and asking Him to help us to walk in the spirit of gratitude after we’ve enjoyed the meal together.
One more thought. As you thank the Lord for the food, keep your blessing brief. Remember, it’s a blessing, not a sermon. It only takes a portion of a minute to say everything I’ve just mentioned above. Another thing you might do as you thank the Lord for the food is mention particular people that helped prepare it, and thank the Lord for them as well.
When you have an opportunity like this, use it wisely, and use it well. You could put a thought in someone’s mind that God will use to bring them to Christ.
