Turning to God, full of uprooted desire, can work miracles. Experiencing strong emotions, a person can cause great power through his prayer.
Prayers
Prayer is a conversation with God, which cleanses the soul of negative thoughts and serves as a kind of support for man. The healing properties of prayers have been known to people for thousands of years. Prayer to the Higher Mind does not imply a detailed account of committed sins, not a stream of consciousness, and not a report on the events of the day. Prayer means a frank conversation with a friend who will listen and comfort. The misunderstanding of the true meaning of prayer addresses completely distorted the understanding of modern man about communion with God. Unfortunately, the church cannot reach everyone in order to convey to people the hidden meaning of the Holy Scripture.
The power of prayer
A person who regularly offers meaningful prayers to God strengthens his spirit. Belief in the help of the Supreme Being forms a barrier in the mind that takes all the blows of fate on itself, while the person remains relatively calm. Such a stress buffer is necessary for every person to maintain psychological and physiological health. Only a few seek it in religion.
Constant fellowship with God strengthens the faith of man, he begins to see the divine purpose everywhere. Such a situation, like everything in the world, has two sides: positive and negative. The positive side is that human faith is justified. It has long been proven that what is happening depends on thoughts. By projecting thoughts about God, his protection and help, man really begins to notice them in real life. This fact is undeniable.
The negative side of faith is that prejudice and personal speculation can lead a person to self-flagellation, depression and detachment. The worst part in such a situation is that no one outside can help. Only the man himself, having adjusted his mental balance, is able to return himself to a harmonious life.
Prayer and food
Prayer after eating is an integral part of the meal of every Christian. For true believers, this custom is required. In modern conditions of the fast pace of life, such rituals are supplanted because they lack time. Prayer before eating food and after - a request to sanctify food and thanks God for wealth in the family.
This prayer ritual has a significant impact on parenting. It has long been noticed that children who said prayers before and after eating food respected the food and labor of their parents.
In addition, prayer when eating plays an important role in the integrity and preservation of the family, because the ritual suggests that the whole family should gather at the table. Today, family meals are a very rare occurrence, and yet, when they gather at the same table, each member of the family feels their belonging to the whole.
Prayer and Culture
Prayer reminds one that more than one bread feeds him. Spiritual health and well-being plays a key role in a happy, relaxed life. The power of prayer also lies in the fact that it teaches to restrain gluttony and the absorption of food for pleasure. People who regularly pray before and after meals approach the issue of nutrition consciously. They are rarely overwhelmed by any craving for food. You can almost never find an obese person who is having a refectory. An exception may be when the fullness of the body is explained by an ailment.
Reading prayers before the meal not only charges the food with goodness, but also teaches the culture of handling food. The meal process ceases to be a cult; it is just a necessary satisfaction of a need. Ordinary people after eating feel that they are full, while believers feel light in the stomach and full of soul.
What do the holy fathers say?
Many holy fathers wrote that prayer and the meal are very important. Some of them expressed the opinion that diseases and ailments are increasingly conquering people precisely because the custom of prayer before eating has been lost. Very often people start eating in a bad mood, with negative thoughts and anger. Food absorbs this information and, once in the body, “works” according to a given direction. Regular quarrels in the kitchen while cooking can lead to serious illnesses among family members. Emotions have a very strong energy field, so the charge of negative energy will be very powerful.
Another way to charge food with negativity is to watch movies or news that talk about negative events. But watching a movie and eating at the same time is very popular. The point is that few people make positive films - they do not have drama, intrigue, intensity. Therefore, almost all films are a demonstration of violence, bitterness and rage.
Many holy fathers wrote about the need to treat those in need with a piece of bread before starting to eat themselves. Strong prayer after eating and eating food can charge your food with positive energy that will work for the good of your body.
How to choose a prayer?
Prayer after eating food should be simple and clear. This is a grateful appeal to the Higher Power. Usually this is just a couple of lines. It is not always good to memorize standard texts, as they give the impression of pretense. It is better to come up with your own words of thanks that will come from the heart.
Prayer after eating food in Russian has the following formula: "Gratitude, a request for mercy in the future, a blessing." Most often, before the meal, the prayer “Our Father” is read, which everyone knows. It aims at the blessing of food and home. Some people prefer to sing prayers, and for good reason. The song enhances the power of the words of prayer and raises the general spirit of family members.
Prayer after eating food: text
Many believers prefer to read or sing church prayer after eating. This is explained only by the fact that some people are more comfortable talking with God as with a friend, and someone accepts only “official” communication. The text of the prayer after eating food: “Thank you, our God, for if you have filled us with your earthly goods, do not deprive us of your heavenly kingdom, but as if in the midst of your disciples you have come, save, give peace to them, come and save us. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen. Have mercy, Lord (three times). Bless. "
The correct reading of the prayer
The tradition of reading prayers is different in every family. You can read the prayer aloud or to yourself, do it together or in turn, sing or whisper, with your eyes closed or open. In some families it is customary for the younger son to say the prayer.
In order to concentrate during prayer, you should hang the icon of Christ or the Mother of God in a prominent place in the dining room or in the kitchen. It will also be very appropriate to place the icons "Virgin of the Bread" and "Sporitelitel loaves." Proper prayer before and after eating food should be said only in a good mood. Performing a ritual in a state of irritation or anger will not do any good. In this case, it is better to refuse prayer altogether or wait with a meal until peace of mind returns.
It is believed that prayers for the blessing of food should be read, concentrating on the icon and standing. At the beginning and at the end of reading, a person should christen himself.
It is believed that morning and evening prayers should be different. However, this rule is intended for people who have fully dedicated their lives to serving the Higher Forces. Families are allowed to read the same prayer speech at any time during meals.
It is worth noting that the refectory prayers during the great religious holidays should be different from daily prayers. A festive meal should end with a longer prayer that all family members read or sing aloud. It is necessary to do this in a benevolent mood, wishing your relatives health and divine light. It is advisable that on big holidays the whole clan come together. Even if this is not possible for various reasons, it is worth inviting the closest relatives and friends who are close to you to your house. The duty of the owner of the house is to create a festive mood and atmosphere of joy, the hostess of the house should please the arriving guests with a large table. Dishes should be tasty so that the pleasure of food enhances the joyful mood of the audience. Cooking too many meat dishes is not recommended, as they are heavy on the stomach, and on great holidays a person should most of all monitor the lightness of the body. Prayer after eating the food should envelop all guests so that the glory of the Lord will be given.
Prayer and Etiquette
As for the customs of the refectory, it is impossible to read texts or to baptize food if representatives of another religion are present at the table. In ordinary families, this is rare, but at ceremonial church receptions, this rule is mandatory. Failure to comply with this rule can cause great embarrassment or even irritation among representatives of another faith. It is very tactless to read the prayer aloud at work or at a party, if you are not completely sure what kind of faith your colleagues or homeowners profess.
In many monasteries, there is still a rite using holy water. According to him, cooked food should be sprinkled with holy water in order to scare away evil spirits from people with pure thoughts. Some families that especially honor ancient traditions also sprinkle food. It is believed that prayers should be given after a meal while kneeling. Moreover, after reading a thank-you speech, a person should make 12 bows next to the icons.
The refectory prayers in other religions
In other religions, prayer after eating food is also very popular among believers. Translation of the text from other languages showed that the general essence of the prayer appeal to God is preserved. First, you should thank the Higher Power for the benefits provided and ask for their consecration. After that, people ask for blessings not only for a meal, but also for the whole time for the family. The traditional refectory prayer in any religion ends with words of gratitude and praise of the Higher Power.