“Give us this day our daily bread.”
What does it mean for us to pray this?
A New Outlook on Life
This simple prayer changes our outlook on life. We acknowledge God as our chief provider, thereby growing in trust and thankfulness towards Him. The beauty of this is that not only does He answer our prayer for meeting our daily needs, it moves us into a position of dependence and thankfulness as we acknowledge Him as the source of all things good. He enables us to earn and labour, He ensures that there are crops to be harvested and livestock to be reared. He is the one who deeply cares for each aspect of our lives. As we learn to trust Him for all our needs, we grow in thankfulness in our heart for His faithful provision.
“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
He builds in us generosity and kindness.
Jesus instructs us to pray in plural – “Give us this day our daily bread”. As we trust God for our daily provision, He also calls us to mindful of those who are in need. As He faithfully provides, He graciously directs us towards kindness to others. In trusting God for His generous provision, He also wishes to imbue in us a generous spirit.
“17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”
He teaches us contentment and simplicity
As we ask for “this day’s” bread, it leads us to a daily dependence which teaches us contentment and simplicity. Much like Israel depending daily on God’s fresh provision of manna (Exodus 16), he teaches us to not worry about tomorrow and instead to experience the beautiful care through His provision for this day. Contentment pleases God and simplifies our lives:
“25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Points to Pray
Thank God for His provision in your life. Thank Him for His faithfulness and grace.
Ask for a spirit of gratitude and generosity.
Confess your anxieties and need for self-sufficiency. Ask Him for a heart which trusts and relies on Him.
Ask Him to provide for your needs today. Ask Him for a spirit of spirit of contentment, and simplicity.
Pray for those who lack provision in your society – in your city, neighbourhood or church. Ask God if there is someone whom you can help with that which you have in your hands.