Our Daily Bread
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Series Review
Series Review
There is a big difference between a routine and a ritual. is not just the action, but the attitude behind the action.
A routine is getting up every morning, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, taking a shower, getting dressed, and going to work. You probably do not consider these things to be not a meaningful part of our day. How many of you have seriously contemplated brushing your teeth on your way to work? How many of you find deep meaning in fixing breakfast? It is possible, but for most people these are routines. They need to be done.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
The Lord’s Prayer. Is this meaningful part of being a disciple of Christ, or is it a routine? How do you tell? A routine we can do without thinking about it. We do it because it’s part of the day. It’s boring. We can do it without being aware of what we’re doing.
One of the reasons for this sermon series is make sure The Lord’s Prayer is a meaningful way of communicating to God, and not just a mindless routine.
But this is not just about analyzing each part of the Lord’s Prayer.
(church, raising hands, prayer requests for others, unspoken for ourselves [prayers for others on the sheet])
but remember Jesus said “this is how you are to pray,” not just “pray this every day.” The Lord’s Prayer can help you pray, and we can all pray. There’s a prayer chain here at HUMC, and it is used regularly. If someone needs the body of Christ at Huntingtown UMC to pray for them, we do.
But how should we pray?
“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
We pray like we’re talking to a loving father, who wants to see their child, hear about their day, take walks with us. But we don’t get too casual in our conversation, like we would our dad. God is holy, we are not holy, so his name is to be treated as holy. We have to be careful not to let our prayer life become too casual.
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
We pray according to God’s perfect will, not our own. Notice something about the Lord’s Prayer so far: it’s not about us. In the Lord’s Prayer so far, we have not asked for anything. We have not made this prayer about us. Our concerns are not the first thing we should think about in our prayers: our primary concern is God’s will be be done.
Now comes the part of the prayer that we might be more comfortable with:
Sermon Introduction
Sermon Introduction
Give us today our daily bread.
Now we are asking God for something. We are asking God to meet our needs.
(literal for some people)
During World War II, thousands of children were orphaned and left to starve. Some were rescued and placed in refugee camps and they were fed and taken care of. But many of these children had lost so much so quickly could not sleep at night. They feared waking up to find themselves once again homeless and without food. Nothing seemed to reassure them. Finally, someone hit upon the idea of giving each child a piece of bread to hold at bedtime. Holding their bread, these children could finally sleep in peace. All through the night the bread reminded them, " I will have enough to eat."
Dennis Linn;Sheila Fabricant Linn;Matthew Linn. Sleeping with Bread: Holding What Gives You Life (Kindle Location 24). Kindle Edition.
This phrase, as you probably know, is not just about asking God for something to eat. It is about something much broader: it’s about asking God to meet our spiritual, and not just physical needs.
This phrase, as you probably know, is not just about asking God for something to eat. It is about something much broader: it’s about asking God to meet our spiritual, and not just physical needs.
Look at what Jesus says about bread:
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Context: Jesus preached sermons where he was the main topic.
Outlines on the Gospel of John and First John 16. The Bread of Life (John 6:51)
What are its characteristics?
I. Divine. It “came down from heaven.”
II. Life-Giving. It is “the living bread.”
III. All-Sufficient. It was given “for the life of the world.”
IV. Eternal. He that eateth it will “live for ever.”
V. Universal. It is to “any man.”
feeding the 5,000. The crowds follow Jesus way outside of town. He preaches a lot longer than they expected, it’s getting late and no one packed a lunch. We Methodist know better.
Rather than send them so they can eat, Jesus somehow feeds this huge crowd with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. It’s a miracle for the crowd, but for Jesus it is a sermon illustration.
He doesn’t say, “Look at what I did! Do you believe me now?” Instead, he says, “I am the bread of life. I am the bread from heaven. I am the bread that always satisfies.”
When we pray, give us our daily bread, we are asking God, give me everything I need.
Give us today our daily bread.
We make requests all the time, to people and to God. We all know that we live in a culture that has a hard time telling the difference between a need and a want.
What are we are praying for ?
When we ask, assess our request. Here are 3 questions to ask:
When we pray this prayer, we are asking God to give us what we need.
When we ask, assess our request. Here are 3 questions to ask:
The bread which we need day to day. When praying “give us this day our daily bread” you are making a request. This is the part of the prayer where we start making personal requests. Sometimes our prayers start here, but not with Jesus.
Father we can talk to, holy, we serve His heavenly kingdom
We are asking God to give us what we need day to day.
When we ask, assess our request. Here are 3 questions to ask:
Does this have eternal significance?
Does this have eternal significance?
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
John 6:
e.g. hospital, prayer for a brother in a coma; unique was not just the prayer for healing, but there was a “so that” at the end of the prayer; “so he can serve your kingdom.”
When we pray for even our most desperate needs, there should be a “so that” at the end of it. Heal me so I can serve. Deliver me so I can be a testimony for others. Remember: sometimes a death can speak more than life. Suffering can speak more than healing.
Does this bring or extract life?
Does this bring or extract life?
John 6:
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
This is a hard one. We might pray for something that is unhealthy for us. (heal a relationship that is bad for us; getting a job at a place where we shouldn’t work; praying for a ministry opportunity that we’re not called to and where we would not be effective.
Why do I want this?
Why do I want this?
Why do I want this?
Why do I want this?
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Is this something that will satisfy us eternally, or will we want more down the road because it doesn’t really satisfy. (Pray to get out of debt - so we can get ourselves in a better $ situation, or so we can give more [ Wesley - Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can].
It is eternal.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let’s remember this morning that we pray to a Father who cares deeply about us, but this father is holy and his name is not to be used casually. He has a kingdom that has no end, so we know we can trust him to meet our needs every day - he will give us our daily bread. Remembering all of this, let us pray the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.