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The act of praying at mealtimes is derived from the Bible. Pausing and thanking God before eating food is something many choose to do. And saying a grace, a short prayer or thankful phrase, is a practice as old as time and fundamental to Christian culture and tradition.

You can say grace before, during, and after a meal. The custom, however, is typically adhered to pre-mealtime. But how exactly is grace said, and what are its spiritual—and physiological—benefits? Click through this gallery and learn more.

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Saying a grace before eating is a way of thanking the Lord for the food provided. It's a practice as old as time and fundamental to Christian culture and tradition.

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Giving thanks before meals is mentioned in the gospel accounts. For example, the feeding of the 5,000, the only miracle—aside from the resurrection—recorded in all four gospels, describes Jesus looking up to heaven and blessing the five loaves and two fish.

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The gospel accounts also record Christ giving thanks before sharing his meal with his apostles at the Last Supper.

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In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus exhorts us to ask the Father for our daily bread. The Lord's Prayer is the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him how they should pray.

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Saying grace refers to the practice of thanking God for the food before a meal. The term comes from the Ecclesiastical Latin phrase gratiarum actio, or "act of thanks."

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In Christian theology, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible. In Luke 24:30, Jesus and Paul pray before meals.

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As a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating, a grace essentially invites Jesus' presence to the table.

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A grace is also a way of acknowledging God. In Laudato si'—the second encyclical of Pope Francis—the pontiff advocates that "all believers ... return to [the] beautiful and meaningful custom" of stopping to "give thanks to God before and after meals."

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At the table, grace is usually performed while holding hands and bowing heads.

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The act of holding hands serves to physically unite the very people being spiritually united in prayer.

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Holding hands also reinforces the feeling of family and community, connecting spirits and souls in gratitude.

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While some families and households choose to hold hands to say grace before meals, others may prefer to bring their hands together in order to focus their minds solely on God.

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Closing the eyes also helps block out distraction and allows for focus on the conversation of prayer.

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Even of you're not a believer, a pre-meal thanksgiving is a way of recognizing the many individuals who carried out the hard work to get food to your table—the farmers, the delivery drivers, the grocery store clerks, the cook, and suchlike.

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On a more practical level, some doctors suggest that saying grace has physiological as well as spiritual benefits.

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People who say grace tend to eat more slowly, aiding digestion.

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And on this, science is at one with spiritual wisdom. Pausing to say grace before meals not only makes us more thankful for what we are about to receive, it consciously makes us eat at a more unhurried pace.

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Chewing and swallowing our food properly gives our stomach adequate time to prepare the right digestive juices.

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The right amount of chewing depends on your food's texture, but, as a general rule, food should be chewed about 32 times, more so for tougher meat and vegetables.

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Believers can call on several different pre-mealtime grace prayers. These typically include for Latin Catholics: "Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen."

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A typical Anglican pre-mealtime grace prayer is: "Bless, O Father, Thy gifts to our use and us to Thy service; for Christ's sake. Amen."

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A pre-mealtime grace prayer often recited by those of the Methodist/Wesleyan denomination goes as follows: "Be present at our table Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless and grant that we may feast in fellowship with Thee. Amen."

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Those in the Church of England, the country's established Christian denomination, typically recite: "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen."

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Presbyterian table graces include: "Creator of all life, bless this food that is before us. Strengthen our commitment to share the gifts you
have given us so that all may have food each day. Amen."

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Most pre-mealtime grace prayers have post-meal blessings. For example after eating, Latin Catholics might recite: "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, Who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen."

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While the majority of people who follow the tradition of meal thanksgiving speak their prayer, singing grace is another fulfilling way to express gratitude for food and other blessings.

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As a matter of fact, the ritual and spiritual discipline of singing a table blessing and grace after eating has a rich history in the Judeo-Christian tradition.

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For many people of faith, saying a prayer before or after a meal is another way of preventing apostasy—the abandonment or renunciation of a religious or political belief or principle.

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What about saying grace in public? At a restaurant, for example. Praying in public does affect those around us, reminds The Gospel Coalition. It can also impact those with whom you are eating. Therefore, in cases like these, "praying before a meal should not be a primary evangelistic or discipleship strategy, but it should undoubtedly be part of it."

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And for many, following that advice in its simplest form means that praising God and enjoying his presence is ultimately much more fulfilling than what's on your plate.

Sources: (The Church of England) (Bible Study Tools) (U.S. Catholic) (Catholic Herald) (Healthline) (Presbyterian Mission Agency) (Baptist News Global) (The Gospel Coalition)