Give us this day our daily bread
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Exodus 16; Matthew 6:5-15
Many people are reluctant to pray “small prayers.” Often Christians have told me they wouldn’t bother God with their piddling requests, after all He’s got more important things to care about.
It’s an odd position to take when you think about it. As though the affairs of the world were getting on top of our Heavenly Father, and He couldn’t really squeeze in our puny interests. We imagine He’s just about sovereign enough to keep an eye on the middle east, but that my dodgy knee is beyond Him.
But Jesus shows us the range of things for which we should pray: We should pray “Thy Kingdom come” and in the same breath pray:
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
From the mighty to the miniscule.
Is there anything our Father is not interested in? No, He wants to hear it all – from cosmic concerns to daily bread.
And “daily bread” reminds us of Manna. You see the Israelites too were waiting for the Kingdom to Come. They had been delivered from Egypt – the Kingdom of Darkness – and were awaiting the fullness of their inheritance. And what kept them going? Daily Bread. Every day God gave them one day’s worth of bread.
And Jesus says – You also are a wilderness people. You also have been brought out of the old kingdom, you’re awaiting the full inheritance of the new kingdom, and every day you depend on your Father. “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We don’t pray “Give us today, tomorrow’s bread.” No, tomorrow we’ll pray for tomorrow’s bread. Today we pray for today’s bread. In the name of Jesus, we look with confidence to our Father’s daily provision.
Ultimately, Jesus Himself is the Bread of life (John 6:35). He is the Source of our spiritual vitality and the One who sustains us. We pray for greater experiences of Jesus to nourish us during our wilderness waiting. And in His name we ask for our mundane needs knowing that He who gave us Christ will give us all things in Him
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?(Romans 8:32)
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