Day 11: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread

Oftentimes we think prayer is just to change us and our hearts and isn’t concerned with asking God for physical things but today we see prayer also involves asking God to give us what we need for the day ahead. God, like any good father, cares who we are becoming but also wants to provide everything that we need including our daily physical needs such as bread. 

Jesus using the word bread here not only brings to mind the Old Testament when God provided bread or manna  for His people daily but also shows us that even something as basic to life as what we will eat today is welcome before God. Prayer is not just for spiritual needs but brings our relationship with God to involve every bit our life here on Earth. There is no part of our life from spiritual needs and God's Kingdom coming to what we will eat today that isn’t welcome before God, He wants every detail of life brought to Him and talked with Him about. 

Bread is essential for life so Jesus telling them to ask God for their daily bread is teaching that we are to view and rely on God as our daily provider! God is your father and so God is your provider to take care of His children. It is not your work or what you do that provides for you, but your Father in Heaven. Be free from the anxiety to provide for yourself and see the good life of faith rests from that anxiety filled life and has peace knowing God will provide. Rest in the fact that the being with all the power in the universe has decided to make you His child, so cast all your daily cares on your Father because He cares so much for you and has the power to provide what you need for the day ahead. (1 Peter 5:7)

PRAYER: Father you are my true provider and just as you clothe the grass and feed the birds daily, how much more will you care for me, your child. Thank you that you welcome every aspect of my life before you and desire for me to keep nothing from you, even what I need for the day ahead. You have always been faithful and always will be. So today I pray you provide for me what I need as well as what I don’t even know yet that I need. Thank you for your great love and provision, you are a good good father.