DAY 15 – COOK A SIMPLE, WHOLESOME MEAL

THEME: SACRED NOURISHMENT

FOCUS: EMBODIED FAITH, MINDFULNESS, AND JOY IN SIMPLICITY

PRACTICE:

Choose one meal today and prepare it with care. It doesn’t have to be fancy—just real, nourishing food. Maybe it’s a bowl of soup, roasted vegetables, a sandwich, or a warm breakfast. Let this be more than just feeding yourself. Make it a spiritual practice.

As you cook, pay attention to the colors, textures, and scents. Notice your breath. Thank God for each ingredient. Consider where it came from. Let gratitude stir as you chop, stir, or plate your meal.

Once the meal is ready, pause before eating. Breathe. Offer thanks. Taste each bite with intention. Let it nourish not just your body, but your spirit.

REFLECTION:

In a culture of rushing and convenience, cooking can feel like a chore. But there’s something sacred about slowing down and tending to your own nourishment. Jesus broke bread with others, multiplied loaves, and even grilled fish on the beach for His friends. Food is one of the most consistent ways God reminds us: you are cared for.

When we prepare and receive food with mindfulness, it becomes a form of embodied prayer—a way to connect faith with the flesh-and-blood reality of our lives.

This act of cooking is also a reclaiming of rhythm. It says: I am not a machine. I am a soul with a body, and I matter enough to be nourished. It can be a moment of joy, of grounding, and even of healing.

SCRIPTURE:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”

— 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NRSV)

Even the smallest acts—like cooking and eating—can be worship when done with gratitude and awareness.

PRAYER:

God of Provision,

Thank You for the food before me, the hands that prepared it, and the breath that fills me as I eat.

Help me slow down enough to savor what sustains me.

Remind me that my body is a holy vessel, worthy of care and nourishment.

May this simple meal feed my soul as much as it feeds my body.

Amen.