How We Should Pray: Part V

“Give us This Day our Daily Bread”

March 22, 1998

What do you think is meant by “Daily Bread”? 

(Perhaps illustrate a bird feeding its young.) 

In the Small Catechism Luther explains “daily bread” as “everything to do with the support and needs of the body”.  We all know what the human body needs to keep it nourished and alive.  It needs food and drink, clothes and shelter, faithful relationships and good neighbors.  Luther is talking about temporal things.  These earthbound things are necessary in this life. 

His assessment appears to be accurate when considering the wisdom revealed in Proverbs 30:8-9.  It says, “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much, and disown you and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

The first time I ever read this passage of the Bible it really stood out to me. So much so that I even began using it as a regular prayer.  Considering the times when Bonnie and I wondered where the money for rent and food would come from.  It was a good prayer.  We always had enough.  When we have had abundance, It was a good prayer.  We were able to give it away.  For such behavior we have been called stupid, naïve, and having everything backwards when it comes to handling money.  Although that possibility exists, we have still found the prayer to be a good one.  The storehouse of God never seems to be empty or unable to satisfy our needs. 

The point I want to make here is that nothing at all belongs to us.  Everything we have is ultimately from God and has been given to us for our use.  It is not for nothing that the Scripture says, “Everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.”  Consecrated, i.e., blessed, sanctified, devoted. 

There is more in this passage of Proverbs.  It seems to hit right at the heart of where we live today.  When I first read it I thought, “now that seems rather brash.”  It just seemed to be a bit out of place as a prayer.  It seemed ridiculous to me that anyone praying to God would speak this way to Him.  I mean, to tell God that I might be prone to steal and forget or dishonor His name.  That seems rather bold.  Maybe it even seems foolish.  Regardless, we study it more carefully, it becomes obvious that this is exactly how we should pray.  Whatever we ask of God, we should ask boldly.  Such a prayer indicates recognition of the shortcomings of the flesh while at the same time indicating absolute faith and trust in God. 

“Give us this day our daily bread” is a very bold petition of prayer, indeed!  Think of the sequence of the Lord’s Prayer that leads up to this fourth petition.  “Our Father in heaven” suggests that we have come to know who our true Father is.  “Hallowed be Your name” suggests that we have began to recognize and desire His name to be holy among us.  “Your kingdom come” suggests that we now recognize the kingdom of God and desire it to come among us also.  “Your will be done” suggests that we desire God’s will to always be done over against our own will.  “Give us this day our daily bread” suggests faith that all things come from God as a gift for our use.  It suggests boldness of Spirit that God can and will provide all that we need for each day of life. 

How very sad it is, then, that some only mouth the words and give no thought to what is said.  We even rifle through the words as though the goal is only to get to the end of it.  We might even want to skip it entirely to save time.  

We are no different from the people of Israel who wandered forty years in the desert.  They were fed manna from heaven for the needs of each day.  Even so, some never understood the truth that God will, and does, provide.  We also need to remember the faithful words of Abraham, Jehovah Jairah, “God will provide.” In fact, we need to remember that God already provides us with much more than we need. 

Do we need a sound system? No!  We have one to enhance our hearing.  Do we need a Carillon system? No!  We have one because it provides a musical witness to our community.  Do we need paid staff members? No!  However, we have them to guide and extend our mission and ministry.  Do we need this building? No!  However, we have it to provide a place pleasing to those who might come and worship with us.  Do we need to send our workers to seminars and conferences? No!  However, we do it to enrich our ministry with current information and expanded abilities. 

In all these things, we are blessed, not because we need them, but because they enhance worship and fellowship and our witness of the love of Christ.  These things do make a difference to people, so we all give, not just according to need, or according to what’s left over.  We give according to a good conscience and love of God.  May God indeed be praised for His abundance and ours. 

Is it not God’s great abundance that opens to us the gates of the holy city?  Is it not God’s great abundance that brought Jesus to us?  Is it not God’s great abundance that he makes himself known to us?  To all these questions we can answer, Amen!  It is indeed God’s great abundance that showers us with plenty. 

His abundance provides for our every need, even those we might not be aware of.  Hear what Jesus says, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.  Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.  Isn’t that comforting and assuring? 

The point is this, Our earthly body, and the food it needs to live, will some day be gone.  Nevertheless, the living bread of heaven will never be gone.  It keeps us living forever.  The temptation of Satan is to make us believe that we only need food for this life.  The abundance of God makes us alive with the living bread that came down from heaven so that we might have eternal life.  From God’s abundance, we truly have all that we need for body and soul. 

May God be praised as we pray to Him, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Amen.