“Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11
I have a managers meeting in Albuquerque once a month that I am required to attend. Nevertheless, I have to ask the same boss who requires me to attend for permission to travel to Albuquerque each time I go. It’s the same way regarding leave requests. My boss has never turned down my leave requests. I’m always certain it will be granted. Nevertheless, I have to ask for leave each time I want to use it. We are taught in Matthew 6:11 to ask for our daily bread and told just a few verses later in verses 25-34 not to worry because our Father will take care of our food needs. So why are we taught to ask for something God promises to provide? What is Jesus teaching here about prayer?
When Jesus was praying and fasting 40 days in the wilderness, it’s not hard to imagine how hungry he was. In this context Satan tempted him to turn stones to bread…something Jesus could easily have done. Yet it would have been a failure, an evil act, and an act of self provision rather than dependency on the Father. An acknowledgment of dependency on the Father is an act of honoring the Father.
Bread is not just wheat baked in an oven. It is whatever is necessary for life. It is our health, clothes, shelter, even our friends.
Asking for bread is about God and dependency on him. It’s about his abundance, his desire to provide, his listening ear, his daily availability to hear us and give. We honor God when we ask for bread. We hallow his name.
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