DAILY BREAD

Luke 11:3

Give us each day the food we need…

What do you understand from the verse of Bible above? Stop reading and go back to reread the verse again meditatively. Have you done that? What do you understand by; give us each day our daily bread? This is a line of prayer in the prayer model Jesus taught His disciples. It definitely sounds like Jesus taught His people to ask God for what they need for each day, no more no less. It sounds like Jesus’ people don’t need bank accounts, savings or storage. It sounds like God only provides enough for today without extra and you’ll have to look up to Him for tomorrow’s supply. But that is not what Jesus meant. Jesus actually taught that God gives to the overflow.

Luke 6:38

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap…

Also consider that Jesus miraculously fed a crowd of people and there were leftovers (Matthew 14:15-21). Leftovers certainly mean more than enough. The word of God also says that God will do exceeding abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine.

Eph 3:20

 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…

Again, this denotes more than enough. What then did Jesus’ model prayer mean by ‘enough bread for each day’? Jesus is telling us that, in fact, God’s will is that we have enough. That is, insufficiency is not God’s will. If Jesus taught His people to expect ENOUGH, then ENOUGH supply is God’s will. When you study this prayer model taught by Jesus you may realize that all the lines of that prayer is about agreeing to God’s will.  There’s not even one line that affords the one praying to make personal independent requests. Our father in heaven, may your name be kept holy; that’s exactly what God wants; to be glorified by all flesh. The Bible tells us that God is actually jealous about this. All men must worship Him. May your kingdom come, May your will be done…; again, God’s kingdom is His main vision. His will is His wish. Give us each day, bread for the day; see, Providence is God’s will. And so on.

Jesus also taught His people to pray, ‘give us bread for each day’ because ‘enough for each day’ indicates ‘no more than what we need’. This is very important. You’re in fact asking God to give you what you need and withhold what is excessive. Excessive is what you don’t need, I mean, anything that will distract you from God. You do not need everything others get. Some people may not have good health because they may stray from God in good health. Some pastors don’t have large congregations because God loves them; their focus may be broken by a large congregation. Not every good thing is good for you but good things are God’s will for His people. You are extremely important to God. Are you able to ask God in sincerity to withhold from you anything that will distract you in His presence? God’s will is for you to have enough, sufficient supply. God does not want you to see any colors that monopolize your attention. That is the prayer model Jesus taught His disciples.

Give us each day, food for the day also indicates God’s will is that our supply will inspire us to look to Him again and again and again. If you receive and don’t bother with the source of your supply any longer, in God’s kingdom, that’s not a blessing. Are you drawn nearer to God or farther from Him? You may be a child of God but sick in your body. Ask yourself, ‘am I farther from God or closer to Him?’ A child of God may experience hardship, but it will sharpen His or her connection to God. Healing and providence is God’s will. If it is God’s will, He can. If He can, He will. Ask and expect God to meet your needs abundantly because that is already His will. Ask and expect God to withhold from you the things that distract you from His word because that distraction is against His will. Pray that line of prayer with joy in your heart because Jesus taught it from a place of deep love. God bless you.