The Model Prayer - Pt 6

 

[Jesus said] Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13 ESV).

 

Bread is the essence of life, it’s what sustains us every day. As we ask God to give us our daily bread, we not only acknowledge our dependency on Him for life’s necessities, but we also declare that He is everything we need.

 

While wandering through the wilderness, the Israelites were fed daily by a bread that fell from Heaven. They called it “Manna.” On a desert journey, where they had no source of sustenance except God alone, they looked for their daily portion of manna to meet their needs. Today we have a new manna from Heaven. Jesus explained to his disciples, “This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (cf. John 6:58). Jesus is our daily bread. Just a few verses earlier, He declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (cf. John 6:35).

 

As we go through our daily lives, we must ask ourselves: What is the source of our sustenance and contentment? Are we looking to Jesus or are we looking to our own efforts to provide for us, fulfill us, and sustain us?

 

The good news is that Jesus freely provides Himself as the bread of life and He invites us to partake in His feast. Our prayer this month reminds us to trust in Jesus every day at every moment. May He be our heart’s deepest desire and all that we need.