daily bread – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

Give us this day our daily bread

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.

This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.” (Exodus 16:4)

I couldn’t help but think that Jesus was referring to this passage when he told his disciples to pray,

Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

It never really struck me before what we’re really saying when we pray that.

Not only are we asking God to provide our needs. But we are praying, “Lord teach me to trust you daily. Teach me to trust you enough that I will obey you in everything.”

Lord, thank you for rescuing me from slavery to sin. Each day, may I know you more deeply, seeing your glory. (6-7)

And as I do, teach me to daily trust and obey you…in everything.

Give me today my daily bread.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sermon on the Mount: Praying for our needs

One of the most amazing things to me is that the God of this whole universe cares about me, even the simple and perhaps mundane things. Yet he does. And so Jesus tells us to pray,

Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)

Jesus will talk about this in more detail later when he talks about anxiety, but God does care that we have what we need to live. Food. Clothes. A place to stay. Of course, all of these things require money. And to have money, we need a job.

So often we worry about these things. It is, I must admit, something that I’m thinking about constantly as I interview for a new job next week.

But God doesn’t call us to worry about these things. To let these things dominate our mind. Rather, he calls us to pray about them and leave them in his hands, knowing that our heavenly Father loves us and will meet our needs.

How often do we worry about things instead of praying? (I’m speaking to myself too, by the way).

I suppose the big question we need to ask is, “Do I really think my Father really cares about me? That he really will give me all I need?”

Because if we would just realize this, all our worries would shrink and disappear.

How about you? Are you worrying about the circumstances of your life, or are you praying?