Today’s prayer “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread” is the fifth in a series of prayers working through the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6v9-13 and Luke 11v2-4. The Lord’s prayer is a teaching from Jesus on how to pray and provides us with a framework for living life with the Father. You should begin by reading the prayers “Father,” “In Heaven,” “Hallowed Be Your Name” and “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done.”
Our Father,
Give us this day our daily bread.
We say this as both a reminder and request.
A reminder because You are our Provider, our Sustainer, our Nourisher.
A reminder because we are dependent on You.
Most of us despise that word dependent.
But it’s actually a word of freedom when it’s paired with on You.
Because dependence on You is freedom to live freely and lightly.
You are dependable. You are faithful. It’s who You are.
And You are Provider, Sustainer and Nourisher.
Which means we can trust You to provide and sustain and nourish
Help us remember that You are Provider, Sustainer and Nourisher.
Give us this day our daily bread.
It’s a reminder but also a request.
Because we have needs.
You know them. You know our needs.
And You invite us to ask You to meet and fulfill those needs.
You invite us to not worry but to trust You and Your goodness as our Father.
And so we say Give us this day our daily bread.
Yes, we ask for the literal, physical nourishment our bodies require—our physical needs.
But also for our emotional, spiritual and relational needs.
And most of all our need for identity.
Our need for daily, physical provision, sustenance and nourishment is a reminder of the deeper fulfillment we all need.
And we look to You, Father, for our fulfillment just as Jesus did.
We pray as Jesus did when tempted to go His own way and rely on His own strength, It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
We live on every word that comes from Your mouth, Father.
Every word.
Which for Jesus would have included the words You spoke over Him when He was baptized: This is my Son, chosen and marked by My love, delight of My life.
Words that weren’t yet Scripture but were true nonetheless because they were from You.
Father, give us this day our daily bread.
Speak to us. Encourage our hearts.
Give us ears to hear and eyes to see how You love us and are with us.
Because we need strength for today.
We need the energy to do the tasks required of us.
We need the grace to be patient with others.
We need the assurance of Your love to freely love others.
We need the reality of Your company to lead us in love and peace and joy.
We need an ever-deepening experience that we too are Your sons and daughters who are chosen and marked by Your love, who are the delight of Your life.
Father, humble us today. Remind us that we are dependent on You.
Fill us with hope today. Remind us that You are dependable.
Give us what we need. Remind us that You have the words of eternal life.
Thank You for being a good, loving, caring Father who provides, sustains and nourishes us with every word You speak.
Teach us to live on Your words. To cherish them. To seek the sound of Your voice.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Amen.
Author:
Hi, I’m Keagan! Some of my friends call me “Keags” though! My wife, Charity, is the C to my K. I am loved by Jesus and am in love with Jesus! I am passionate about others fully knowing and loving Jesus and living life in His unforced rhythms of grace. Read more of my writing here.
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[…] reading the prayers Father, In Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name, Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done, Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread, Forgiven to be Forgiving and Lead Us Not Into […]