“Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his presence continually! Remember the wonderful works that he has done, the wonders he wrought, the judgments he uttered” – 1 Chronicles 16:11-12
It was not long after our family arrived at St. Luke’s that our daughter, Mary Beth, started attending the St. Luke’s Children’s center at Trinity Baptist Church. Mary Beth was in Mrs. Mary’s class. It was in this class that she and the other children learned a special prayer for lunchtime. The prayer her class said each day was:
God is Great
God is Good
Let us thank him for our food
By His hands we are fed
We thank You for our daily bread. Amen.
Mary Beth and her classmates learned and recited this prayer each day. She was so proud when she brought it home to us and said grace for our family at the table. This prayer is still part of our dining experience. We all have this prayer memorized now.
This is a simple, yet powerful prayer. It reminds us, as it is said around our family’s table, that God is great, good, and that God is providing for us out of His great love. Although this prayer is the prayer of a child, it tells the story of an eternal God who cares for all His children. The same God who provided for the Hebrews in the desert – the same God who fed the 5,000 – is the same God who is present with us at our school lunch or dinner table.
It has been ten years since Mary Beth introduced this prayer to our family. At first, we were proud of her because she had memorized a prayer. Today, we realize that she has helped put words to our family’s faith. Each time we say this prayer, we are reminding ourselves of who God is, and we are expressing our gratitude that our great God cares so much for us.
Today, we want to share this gift with you. If you have been looking for new words to express your faith, to be reminded of how wonderful our God truly is, and to share your gratitude, perhaps this simple prayer may bless you as much as it has blessed our family.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
