Jesus's Teaching on Prayer, Part 6
Daily Bread
Matthew 6v11
10th October 2025
The first three petitions in the Lord's Prayer are about God. In them we pray for His Name, His kingdom and His will. What momentous subjects for prayer! As you pray for these eternally significant things, you may have taken some time before reaching the fourth petition:
Matthew 6:9-15
"Give us today our daily bread."
Thus we begin to to talk to God about our needs. That we don't do so until the fourth petition is only right and proper. We are much less important than God, and our well-being is much less important than His name, His kingdom and His will. Nevertheless, it is important. This fourth petition is particularly valuable for two reasons.
Firstly, it reminds us that everything we have, from the food on our table, the clothes on our backs and the places where we live and find shelter, to the air in our lungs, the shoes on our feet and the friends at our side, are given to us by God. Without God we would have nothing. Indeed, without Him we would be nothing. We would not exist. We need God all the time, for everything.
By God's grace I live a reasonably middle-class life in a reasonably middle-class village in England. My house is well-stocked with food. I could probably eat for a fortnight without buying any more. Today, I don't need a miracle to provide my daily bread. Nevertheless, I need to pray for my daily bread because doing so reminds me why I have bread. God supplies all my needs. God gave me the ability to work, to earn money to buy food. God protects me from harm so I can live comfortably. God ordains all my days. He is the source of all good things. That's why I give thanks at the table for the food I eat, and it's why I pray "Give us today our daily bread."
Secondly, we're part of a world-wide church. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are in desperate need of food, clothing, shelter, and release from jail. I'm not just praying to "My father"; I'm praying to "Our Father". I'm not just praying for "my daily bread"; I'm praying for "our daily bread". It's important that Christians like me, who live comfortable, safe lives, pray regularly for the suffering church.
Also, we can and should extend the idea of "our daily bread" to include all our needs. Whatever I need in order to live the Christian life on earth, I can ask our wonderful Father to provide. Whatever the cold, hungry, thirsty, frightened, persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, bereaved, brave, faithful world-wide church needs in order to continue to live for God and witness to His greatness and mercy, I can and should also ask Him to provide.
This petition causes me to wonder at the goodness and love of almighty God, who cares for for us and supplies our needs. Why does One so great as He care for creatures like me? I'm reminded that I don't deserve His grace, and that His grace is given freely to sinners like me. I praise His holy name.