Give us this day our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)
I have heard the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples many times. It is used regularly in our church services.
During this season of Lent, I have been reading through the book of Matthew. I have read it before, but this time one verse that stood out more than the others: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
I wonder what it meant to the disciples who heard Jesus say it. Did their minds go back to the manna that God gave the children of Israel? He only gave them enough food for each day. They could not save any for the next day, except on the sixth day, for the Sabbath. We often worry about tomorrow or the future, but this simple statement is a reminder that God wants to take care of us today, each day. He wants to supply our every need as we need it. He wants us to rely on him daily.
This stresses the point that praying is as essential to the life of the spirit as eating and drinking are to the body. We would not expect to maintain our health by consuming one meal each week or month. So it is with prayer if we become indifferent about our spiritual connection with God and only pray in emergencies. That leads to worry in the meantime.
Jesus knew that we needed to pray each day, and it is no mistake that he gave us the words, “Give us this day our daily bread” as a model for living each day with him.
Prayer point: Praying each day is essential to good spiritual health and connection with our Lord. A daily portion is needed; that is the right time to transfer all our cares on Him. Our day will be lighter.
God bless you!
For more on this topic, watch Peola’s video Why Pray Each Day and listen to her Blog Talk Radio program The Prayer Journey.
