A PATTERN FOR PRAYER
JEHOVAH JIREH – GOD PROVIDES
““That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:25–34, NLT)
"Give us today the food we need," (Matthew 6:11, NLT)
(SLIDE 2)
INTRODUCTION
An elderly widow although extremely poor always gave praise to the Lord for all she received saying “The Lord gave it to me”. Some mischievous boys decided to trick her. Purchasing a bag of groceries, they placed it quietly on her doorstep, rang the bell and ran and hid in the bushes. When the old woman opened the door and found the parcel she cried out “Praise the Lord, He has once again supplied my need”. At this point the boys jumped out in glee saying, “Oh no it’s not the Lord, because we bought those groceries and put them on your doorstep. It wasn’t the Lord it was us!” “Oh yes it was” replied the old widow, ”The Lord provided the foodstuff, only this time he got the devil to deliver it!”
We come now to the fourth petition of A PATTERN OF PRAYER that our Lord gave us …"Give us today the food we need,"
HAVING FOCUSED OUR ATTENTION ON …
• GOD’S PERSON … “May Your name be kept holy”
• GOD’S PURPOSE … “May Your Kingdom come soon”
• GOD’S PROGRAM … “May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven”
Jesus now adjusts OUR FOCUS IS NOW ADJUSTED TO our needs. How unlike many of our prayers that focus first on our needs, our requests, our concerns and only then sometimes as an afterthought we shift our focus to God, Who He is, what His intentions are and how He intends to achieve them. Having dealt with these first, our Lord now turns our attention to the satisfaction of our needs which come through …
• GOD’S PROVISION … “Give us today the food we need”
NOTICE THE PERSPECTIVE IS RIGHT …
FIRST AND FOREMOST …
OUR FOCUS ON GOD AND HIS PRIORITIES
THEN FOLLOWS …
OUR FOCUS ON OUR OWN PERSONAL NEEDS
Indeed this almost seems an anticlimax, having began in the very portals of heaven acknowledging who God is and worshipping Him, having contemplated God’s awesome purpose and program for this fallen world that has rebelled against Him, we suddenly descend to the mundane request for ‘our daily bread’.
It is small wonder that some have sought to spiritualise this request by suggesting that the ‘bread’ sought is not physical but spiritual. Yet we need to see that this petition no less than the preceding petitions is intended to bring glory to God and though on the surface it would appear simple, it has a deep and profound meaning that begs a careful study.
As we approach this petition regarding our needs, that our Lord taught us in His blueprint or pattern of prayer, we see…
• THE SCOPE OF OUR PROVISION
• THE SOURCE OF OUR PROVISION
• THE SCHEDULE OF OUR PROVISION
(SLIDE 3)
Firstly… THE SCOPE OF OUR PROVISION
The Greek word that is translated “food/bread” represents far more than just the food that is necessary to maintain our physical bodies…
Indeed “food/bread” in this petition represents all the resources or necessities for the sustenance of life. Martin Luther expressed this well when he wrote that …
“…everything necessary for the preservation of this life is bread, including food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home wife, children, good government and peace”. (Martin Luther)
Beloved, let this thrill your heart, the God who not only created the universe but also sustains it, the God who holds the stars and galaxies of space in His hand is the God who is concerned about our physical needs.
Jesus reminds us, as we read earlier, using the illustration of birds that our needs are important to God …
Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are?
And, using the illustration of wild flowers, that God will take care of our needs
And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.
Let this truth thrill you…
GOD OUR FATHER IS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR NEEDS
Jesus having told a story about a man who reluctantly gets up at midnight to help a neighbour with some bread to feed his visitors and having posed the question to his hearers as to who would give their children a snake when they ask for a fish or a scorpion when they seek an egg… goes on to make this astounding statement…
"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”" (Luke 11:13, NLT)
Do you see it! God’s eager willingness to supply our needs! For God there is no request too small or insignificant…
• NOTHING IS TOO SMALL
On another occasion Jesus emphasizes our value to God by drawing attention to His care for the common sparrow and by telling us that God… …
"He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!" (Matthew 10:30, The Message)
A little bit of trivia! Did you know that the average person has between 100, 000 and 200,000 hairs on their heads having an average of 3 year life span before it falls out and we loose approximately 100 hairs per day…
Reminds me of the mother who pointed out to her daughter who was being rebellious that her strands of white hair were caused every time she was naughty or disobedient. Thinking about it for a moment, the child asked her mother, “Momma, how come ALL of Grandma’s hairs are white?”
Nothing is too insignificant for God to care about! … Also
• NOTHING IS TOO BIG
"My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give you everything you need." (Philippians 4:19, NCV)
We can never exhaust God’s Supply. The famous department store in London, Harrods boasts that they will supply their customers with any legitimate item. Even greater is God’s treasure storehouse.
Listen to those awe inspiring words of Annie Johnson Flint
“When we have exhausted our store of endurance, when our strength has failed ere day is half done, when we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only begun. His love has no limits: His grace has no measure, His power no boundary Known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth and giveth and giveth again” ( Annie Johnson Flint)
But lest we think God is a heavenly Grandparent intent on spoiling us with our every whim and desire
• REMEMBER IT IS NEEDS NOT GREEDS
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires." (Psalm 37:4, NLT)
To ‘Take delight in the Lord’’ is to recognize that He knows best, what is for our good and therefore all our desires will originate from seeking in our lives to please God!
(SLIDE 4)
Secondly, THE SOURCE OF OUR PROVISION
This petition is an affirmation that all our substance, all our resources originate from God for it is God who provides…
GOD PROVIDES
The Bible says… "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, HCSB)
"Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning." (James 1:17, HCSB)
In the Classic Western movie ‘Shenandoah’, Charlie Anderson (played by James Stewart), is a Virginian farmer trying to keep his family out of the Civil War. In an opening scene from the film, the family is gathered round the dinner table with one empty place set for Charlie’s dead wife. Charlie says, "Now your mother wanted all of you raised as good Christians, and I might not be able to do that thorny job as well as she could, but I can do a little something about your manners." He gestures that they all should bow their heads and then continues: "Lord, we cleared this land; we plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. We cooked the harvest. We wouldn’t be here, we wouldn’t be eating, if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-boned hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you just the same anyway, Lord, for the food we’re about to eat. Amen."
Through the course of the movie, we see one tragedy after another strike the Anderson clan: the youngest son is mistaken for a soldier and captured, marauders murder another son and his wife, and a third son is shot by an over-zealous sentry. When we next see Charlie at the supper table, there are four more empty places as he begins his ritual prayer. But this time we hear his voice quiver and break as the awful realization comes upon him that he is not in control, that he is not the master of his own destiny. His voice trails off as he finishes the words "if we hadn’t done it all ourselves." He stops, gets up, and walks away, a proud man, broken and stripped of his pride, knowing that he needs to turn to the Lord, but not yet ready to fall on his knees and ask for God’s help.
How many people are not like Charlie Anderson, knowing that they are not in control but too proud to bend the knee and recognise that the provision of all our needs comes ultimately from the Gracious hand of God.
Often when all is going well in our lives with our needs being met, we tend to take all the credit. We believe we have worked hard but even the most industrious person needs to recognize that…
EVERYTHING ORIGINATES FROM THE RESOURCES GOD MAKES AVAILABLE TO US
Moses reminded Israel … "Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful” (Deuteronomy 8:18, NLT)
THEREFORE we should always…
• BE THANKFUL
Paul reminds Timothy… "Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks." (1 Timothy 4:4, NLT)
And writing to the Thessalonians Paul says … "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NLT)
When we pray this prayer we need to remember to express thanks to God for all His provision and all His blessings
This will ensure that we remember to …
• BE CONTENT
When God delivered the Children of Israel from bondage and slavery in Egypt, not only did He free them, not only did He save them through the Red Sea but He also provided food and water for them daily for 40 years. With blessings like that one would have expected them to be thankful… But what was their response
"Some troublemakers among them wanted better food, and soon all the Israelites began complaining. They said, “We want meat! We remember the fish we ate for free in Egypt. We also had cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”" (Numbers 11:4-6, NCV)
Nothing but manna! Can you believe the ingratitude! But beware lest like the Israelite, God satisfied their complaining spirit but they got more than they bargained for …
““Tell the people this: ‘Make yourselves holy for tomorrow, and you will eat meat. You cried to the LORD, “We want meat! We were better off in Egypt!” So now the LORD will give you meat to eat. You will eat it not for just one, two, five, ten, or even twenty days, but you will eat that meat for a whole month. You will eat it until it comes out your nose, and you will grow to hate it. This is because you have rejected the LORD, who is with you. You have cried to him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” ’ ”” (Numbers 11:18–20, NCV)
What is more, as the Psalmist said …
“And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” (Psalm 106:15, NKJV)
Or as Eugene Petersen paraphrases it … “He gave them exactly what they asked for— but along with it they got an empty heart. ” (Psalm 106:15, The Message)
Rather we should like Paul learn the art of being content …
"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:12-13, NLT)
Thirdly, when we pray "Give us today the food we need," we need to ask God for ways to…
• BE GENEROUS
Note it is not ‘me’ but ‘us’ … God provides all our needs and also in abundance not to hoard but to share. Paul puts his finger on this when he reminds us…
"Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others." (2 Corinthians 9:6-8, NLT)
(SLIDE 5)
The SCOPE, The SOURCE and finally, THE SCHEDULE OF OUR PROVISION
NOTE: the petition says "Give us today the food we need," … The word translated ‘today/daily’ has confused translators. This is the only place the word is used. Recently a fragment of papyrus was discovered that contained an ancient woman’s shopping list. From her use of the word and the context, translators were able to suggest that the phrase could be rendered … ‘today’ – for the coming day. Thus when prayed in the morning, it referred to the needs of the day ahead, when prayed in the evening it spoke of needs for the next day. From this unique usage of the word we can determine that the intent of our Lord was that we learn to…
LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME
That is why at little later in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus as we read earlier, having spoken of the importance not to worry about our physical needs, reminding us of God’s care of the birds of the air and the wildflowers of the field, reminds us to …
"“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. " (Matthew 6:34, The Message)
WHY? BECAUSE …
• YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S PROVISION
Living a day at a time does not mean failing to make sound provision for tomorrow through wise financial planning… But when it becomes the sole focus of our life we show a lack of trust in God’ Provision. Consider David who at the end of an eventful life can say …
“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” (Psalm 37:25, NLT)
• GOD GIVES GRACE SUFFICIENT FOR THE DAY
When Lincoln was on his way to Washington to be inaugurated, he spent some time in New York with Horace Greeley and told him an anecdote which was meant to be an answer to the question which everybody was asking him: Are we really to have Civil War? In his circuit-riding days Lincoln and his companions, riding to the next session of court, had crossed many swollen rivers. But the Fox River was still ahead of them; and they said one to another, “If these streams give us so much trouble, how shall we get over Fox River?” When darkness fell, they stopped for the night at a log tavern, where they fell in with the Methodist presiding elder of the district who rode through the country in all kinds of weather and knew all about the Fox River. They gathered about him and asked him about the present state of the river. “I know all about the Fox River. I have crossed it often and understand it well. But I have one fixed rule with regard to Fox River—I never cross it till I reach it.”
Remember, God provides what we need for today, today!
• YOU FOCUS ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT
Rev Stillman Martin, a well known Baptist evangelist was due to undertake a preaching assignment some distance away. His wife fell ill and was unable to accompany him. Concerned for his wife’s well being, he considered canceling the appointment, worrying that she would be alright whilst he was away. Their young son exclaimed ”Father, don’t you think if God wants you to preach today, that He will take care of Mother while you are away?” When the Baptist evangelist returned having seen a number of people committing their lives to the Lord, he found his wife much improved and busily writing the text suggested by her son’s words. Together they composed the music and thereby providing one of the great hymns of encouragement that has ministered to countless believers... “Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you!”
Remember Jesus’ words … “But first, be concerned about His kingdom and what has His approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.” (Matthew 6:33, GW)
Fulfilling God’s purpose for your life first and God has promised to take care of the rest.
(SLIDE 6)
CONCLUSION
So when we pray "Give us today the food we need," remember God has graciously promised to provide all your needs out of His Glorious Treasure Store… All you need is to ask Him. Remember what James cautions … “You don’t have the things you want, because you don’t pray for them. When you pray for things, you don’t get them because you want them for the wrong reason—for your own pleasure.” (James 4:2b–3, GW)
George Muller had over 2000 children to feed in his orphanages. One day knowing they had no breakfast for the following day, He gathered the children together that evening and they prayed and praised God for supplying their need. The next morning boxes of food appeared on the doorstep. Muller commenting on this miracle said, “We know who sent the food, but we don’t know who brought it!”
“My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus. ” (Philippians 4:19, GW)
When you pray … "Give us today the food we need,"
Remember …
• THE SCOPE OF GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISION
• THE SOURCE OF GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISION
• THE SCHEDULE OF GOD’S GRACIOUS PROVISION
