A Study of the Lord’s Prayer
Lesson # 5
“Our Daily Bread”
Matthew 6:11
“In this manner, therefore, pray. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:10-11(NKJV)
When the Lord responded to the disciples request that He teach them how to pray, He gave them the most perfect and comprehensive outline for prayer ever conceived. As we have noted so far, the prayer consists of seven petitions or requests. The first three have to do with God and are distinguished by the word “thy.” “Thy name,” “Thy kingdom,” and “Thy will.” The second four petitions, which we begin to examine now, have to do with human well-being and are distinguished by the word “us:” “give us,” “forgive us,” “keep us” and “lead us.” In these last petitions we turn from praying for God’s glory to praying for our needs.
Introduction Our Father
The Thy Section
“In Heaven” Thy name be hallowed – worship
Thy kingdom come – guidance
Thy will be done – yieldedness
On Earth as it is in Heaven
The Us Section
“On Earth” Give us bread – provision
Give us forgiveness – pardon
Keep us from temptation – victory
Deliver us from evil - protection
It is interesting that the first real petition in this model prayer only comes after we have begun in praise and have affirmed the priority of the kingdom of God and his rule in our lives. We can only truly pray effectively for ourselves after gaining the perspective that worship and a focus on the kingdom of God will provide. Only then are we ready to ask for the things that we need.
I. THE PRAYER FOR GOD’S PROVISION
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
In this prayer for daily “bread,” bread stands for more than just food. It stands for all the results we get from eating food. It stands for all the physical things we need for life.
You have three kinds of needs:
Physical needs, shelter, food and clothing.
When you awoke this morning, none of you had even the slightest doubt that you would be able to eat today. Most of the major concerns for the average American is what will we eat, not whether we will eat.
Emotional needs, stability, confidence and self esteem
Spiritual needs, Which can only be satisfied in Jesus Christ.
What this request means! First, to pray “give us this day our daily bread,” to ask God to “give” us suggests our absolute dependence on God for everything. God made us with needs so that we would have to look to Him to supply them. To pray this prayer for “our daily bread,” expresses our conviction and belief that God is able to answer our prayer and to meet our needs. It is not that we are praying to overcome God’s unwillingness or overcome his reluctance, seeking to bend His will to ours, but it is rather the taking hold of God’s willingness to give.
God desires daily dependence on Himself. When God provided manna in the wilderness for the Israelites, they were commanded to gather only enough food for each day (Exodus 16:16). If they gathered more than they needed it would spoil over night (Exodus 16:20). God wanted them to realize that they must trust Him to provide for their needs every day.
In the spiritual realm it is just as true that yesterday’s strength is absolutely useless to fight today’s battles. Sometimes we as Christians rely on our experiences with God in the past. Of course they were good, but we need a fresh touch of God in our lives everyday. God never gives us a reservoir of grace in our lives, but expects to turn to Him everyday for the grace sufficient to meet the challenges of that day. “He is not going to give you the grace to do something tremendous tomorrow. He is going to give you grace to be extraordinary in the ordinary circumstances of today.” [Alan Redpath. Victorious Praying: Studies in the Lord’s Prayer. (Grand Rapids; Fleming Revell, 1993). p.73]. The phrase, “this day” reminds us as believers that we need daily renewal of our patience. We often get stressed out with anxiety because we try to face the problems of tomorrow today. Jesus addressed the problem of worry later in the Sermon on the Mount were he said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (32) For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (33) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (34) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matt 6:31-34 NKJV). When we worry about tomorrow we are telling the heavenly father that we are not sure that He can provide for tomorrow’s bread.
The invitation to pray “give us this day our daily bread,” is not carte blanche to pray for everything in the Sears catalog. But, the prayer is an invitation to come to God with even with those things that others might call small.
This prayer also expresses our willingness to accept the kind of bread that God supplies. Another translation of this verse would be, “Give us this day bread suited to our need.”
Proverbs 30:8 says, “Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—Feed me with the food allotted to me;” The King James translates the word “allotted” as “convenient,” think of this in terms of the convenience food-stores of our day, what do they carry, the necessities, the things needed for daily life.
II. THE PRINCIPLES FOR GOD’S PROVISION
The three essential principles for receiving from God are;
A. Obedience. If we want to receive from the hands of God we must live within the will of God. There are several areas in our walk with that are essential we are obedient in if we expect to receive from God. We must be obedient;
1. In our Fellowship with Christ. Obviously, if we are to be a position to receive anything from the father we are going to have to be in a right relationship with Jesus. Jesus has told us, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7 NKJV)
2. In our Relationship to the Church (Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:17). We cannot be in a position to receive from God if we are not in right relationship
With fellow believers
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (NKJV)
With godly leadership
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. (NKJV)
3. In Diligent work habits. The word of God is very explicit that in its demands that his people be willing to work. Paul tells the people at Thessalonica that, “…aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, (12) that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” (1 Thess. 4:11-12 NKJV).
4. In Obedience in Giving. If we are to be in a position to ask for the daily provision of the Lord we must have been faithful in the matter of returning a portion of what has been given to us to finance his work. Those who do not break the bondage of greed set themselves up to be pierced through with many troubles (1 Tim 6:10).
B. Faith Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). Everything that we receive from God is through faith.
C. Diligence.
III. THE PERFECTION OF GOD’S PROVISION
The ultimate bread is Jesus Christ himself. The only
bread the will satisfy completely and forever is the provision of the Lord Jesus Himself.
“I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” John 6:51 (NKJV)
“In this manner, therefore, pray. Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. (10) Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (11) Give us this day our daily bread.”
