“Give us today our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
In this prayer we express our dependence on God in everything. We can’t live without His care, not even in the simple daily things. But because we know God as our Father, this dependence is no reason to panic. We can trust Him to provide.
Jesus gives the example of birds. God knows them, and He cares for them. They have no worries. If God is so concerned about birds, we can be sure that He will also take care of His children! (See Matthew 6:25-26).
We can trust that God will give us everything we need. (This may not be everything we want…) He plainly promises: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). If we enjoy all good things as gifts from our heavenly Father, we should also give thanks to Him for His loving care.
This prayer is about “our daily bread”, but we can also include other needs and wants. Health, strength to carry out our tasks, a roof above our head… The Father knows what we need, and listens willingly if we lay our needs before Him.
What do you ask God for? What do you thank Him for?