Give us our daily bread

Introduction

Proverbs 30:8-9

Remove far from me falsehood and lying;

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is needful for me,

9  lest I be full and deny you

and say, “Who is the LORD?”

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God.

Today we are discussing the fourth petition in the prayer that Jesus uses to teach us; “give us this day our daily bread.”

Right off the bat I want to acknowledge that there is an easy trap to fall into when looking at this one. If you’re like me, you have a tendency to try and spiritualize everything in the Bible. This isn’t completely wrong, because Jesus spiritualized the concept of bread often. He taught that he is the bread from heaven, and that we are spiritually satisfied in him alone.

But, that isn’t what Jesus is doing here.

Jesus is not talking about spiritual bread, and he isn’t even just talking about physical bread.

What are we praying about?

This petition in the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to trust that God will provide for all our physical needs in this life.

This can be a strange one for us if we tend only to think that God is important for our spiritual lives but not our physical lives. But God created our bodies and our souls, and he is sovereign over both. God created both what is material and immaterial, and so we look to him to provide for our material needs as well as our spiritual needs.

If all we’re interested in is a religion that we express on Sundays, we won’t expect that God has very much to do with our material possessions. We will be happy to exist in two different realities - a spiritual reality where we need God and a physical reality where we are independent. But what Jesus teaches us in this petition is that God is sovereign over both and we are dependent on God for our material needs just as much as our spiritual needs.

But what does this look like? Are we praying for manna from heaven? Are we asking God to miraculously manifest a steak dinner on our tables tonight? Are we hoping for some kind of cloudy with a chance of meatballs situation from God? No, because we know that this isn’t how God normally provides for us. We actually have to take a step further to understand just how much God is in control of everything. We aren’t praying for food to magically appear, but we are praying that God would provide for us through ordinary means.

This can be lost on us when we become so used to the routine of collecting a paycheck, having it deposited into an account, swiping the plastic card at the grocery store where we get our food. All of this becomes habit and we can take it for granted, and we can even become convinced that we don’t need anyone outside of ourselves in order to pay the bills or but food on the table.

What we tend to forget is just how dependent we are for these things. Our health that we need to hold a stable job is not something that we can control. Anyone who has spent time farming will tell you that we have no control over what this year’s crop looks like. Even if you aren’t a farmer, it’s easy for us to forget that the food in the grocery stores had to grow somewhere. We all know that the economy we live in isn’t promised to remain stable. Anybody who has experienced layoffs in their job knows just how quickly things can change.

You see, when we ask God for our daily bread, we are asking for all these things that we tend to take for granted.

What are we praying for?

We are praying that God would give us the faculties we need to work hard for our living.

We are praying that God would cause the crops to grow in abundance this year so that we all have enough to eat.

We are praying that our leaders would lead wisely and rightly so that living expenses are manageable.

We are praying that we have a warm place to live and sleep in.

And as we pray for all these things, we aren’t praying that God would make us incredibly rich or impoverished. We aren’t praying for mansions or sports cars, we’re not praying for cardboard boxes on the side of the road. We aren’t praying for five star restaurants every night and we aren’t praying for animal feed.

When we pray, we are simply asking God for the things we need. (James 4:2-4)

James 4:2–4 ESV

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

But maybe this isn’t the type of prayer you want to pray. Maybe you’ve really had your heart and mind set on that new toy, new car, new house, new gadget. This leads us to see what else Jesus is teaching us to pray here.

Jesus is teaching us to pray for contentment with what God gives us. (Philippians 4:11-20)

Philippians 4:11–20 ESV

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

We are meant to be hard workers, utilizing the means God has given us to take part in the physical blessings he gives us. We are meant to enjoy and appreciate those things that we have, and not to long for more.

How then should we pray?

Lord, help me to be content with the good gifts you’ve given to me. Help me to prioritize serving you over my own comfort, and help me to trust that you will provide for me as I serve you. (Matthew 6:25-33)

Matthew 6:25–33 ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Father, we know that every good and perfect gift comes from you. We thank you for the good gifts you’ve given to us, and ask that you would continue to provide for us as you have. (James 1:17)

God, you know my needs better than I do. You have numbered every hair and have measured out the years of my life. Please give me the things that I need today and help me to be content with what you have given. (Luke 12:7)

Lord, I ask for neither poverty nor riches, but only for what is best for me today. In times of plenty, help me to acknowledge you as the giver of all things. In times of need, help me to be satisfied in you and your provision. (Proverbs 30:8-9)

Questions:

Adults: What are some things that make it hard for you to be content?

Adults: If we trusted God to provide us with what we need each day, how would that change our lives?

Kids: Should we be jealous of other people? What should we do if we start to feel jealous?

Kids: What’s the difference between something you need and something you want?

The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition The Larger Catechism

Q. 193. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?

A. In the fourth petition, (which is, Give us this day our daily bread,) acknowledging, that in Adam, and by our own sin, we have forfeited our right to all the outward blessings of this life, and deserve to be wholly deprived of them by God, and to have them cursed to us in the use of them;i and that neither they of themselves are able to sustain us, nor we to merit,l or by our own industry to procure them; but prone to desire,n get, and use them unlawfully:p we pray for ourselves and others, that both they and we, waiting upon the providence of God from day to day in the use of lawful means, may, of his free gift, and as to his fatherly wisdom shall seem best, enjoy a competent portion of them; and have the same continued and blessed unto us in our holy and comfortable use of them, and contentment in them;s and be kept from all things that are contrary to our temporal support and comfort.