Daily Bread

The first part of this prayer reminds us that: We must know God.

The second part of this prayer reminds us that: We are designed to be dependent.

Birth, Childhood, Elderly - all remain tremendously needy. Community, relationships, government - all these show our dependence. We can’t even eat food without relying on others to prepare it for us.

“There is no such thing as the ‘self-made man.’”

Illustration: Deluding coke with melted ice makes it taste bad - we delude ourselves by believing we can be independent of others.

Give us this day our daily bread reminds us of the authority of God even on the daily, and of our great need for him. We must depend on the Lord.

Are you dependent? (3 D’s)

R. Albert Mohler Jr., The Prayer That Turns the World Upside down: The Lord’s Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2018).

A Biblical look at physical needs.

Adam and Eve were dependent on God before the fall. (Gen. 1-2)

Jesus helps us understand the character of God as a Father who cares about our physical needs. ()

The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution Chapter 5: Give Us This Day: God’s Abundant Physical Provisions

Jesus’ focus up to this point in the Lord’s Prayer has been on the greatness and grandeur of God, yet with the words “give us this day our daily bread,” he moves from the clouds of heaven to the trials and troubles of our own dusty streets and dirty kitchens.

Jesus prays a very simple and earthy prayer for us.

Needs are good. Needs show our humanity. Needs exalt our God/Father. Needs are dignified expressions of our created nature. Pride snips the potential wings off of our flight through this life and causes us to deny a created reality by looking only to ourselves.

There is a difference between needs and being needy.

We must take our needs to God.

The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution Chapter 5: Give Us This Day: God’s Abundant Physical Provisions

Regrettably, we often do not recognize just how dignified our physical needs are until we witness true deprivation and scarcity.

What are our true physical needs? Food, Water & Shelter

Our hunger reminds of daily of our need for God. This is one reason why fasting is important.

Many times we are ungrateful even when our needs are being met.

Exodus 16:4-7

Exodus 16:4–7 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?”

Are you grateful for having what you need?

Are you ungrateful even when you have more than you need?

How is our ungratefulness a rebellion against God’s provision?

The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down: The Lord's Prayer as a Manifesto for Revolution Chapter 5: Give Us This Day: God’s Abundant Physical Provisions

At times God may not provide for us in the way that we think is best. But we will always find that he provides for us according to his infinite love and care.

Jesus is the “bread of life” - our physical need should daily remind us of our spiritual need. (John 6:35)