In today’s reading of On the Lord’s Prayer, I discovered this gem explaining why Christians should, according to Tertullian, pray before meals and before taking baths.

It is also fitting that the faithful should neither take food nor enter the bath without first interposing a prayer. For the refreshment and sustenance of the spirit should take precedence over those of the flesh, because heavenly things have priority over earthly.

I found this to be a helpful reminder that we should not simply pray before meals because it is customary. Yes, it may be customary, but this serves as a reminder that just as we are dependent upon physical food for nourishment and sustenance, so are we on prayer for our spiritual lives.