Prayer For Daily Bread
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 11/27/2011 AM |
Text: | I Kings 17; Lord's Day 50 |
Psalters: | 368, 335, 401, 100 |
- The petition.
- We are taught to ask for “bread.”
- Bread is a figure of speech to indicate man’s physical necessities: food, clothing, shelter.
- This teaches us that we do not live in order to eat, but that we eat in order to live.
- Jesus taught us to add the word “daily.”
- We are to ask God for our needs for this day.
- This is contrary to our nature, for we are inclined to be worried about tomorrow.
- Six things about our attitude implied in this petition.
- First, Jesus teaches us to acknowledge God’s sovereign, providential care of us.
- Two, this petition expresses our conscious dependence on God.
- Third, this petition make us express our childlike trust and confidence in our heavenly Father.
- Fourth, this petition is also a request for grace to be content with only bread, and only for today
- Fifth, this petition expresses the realization that sometimes it is God’s will that we are without daily bread (II Cor. 11:27; Heb. 11:37; Rev. 13:17).
- And sixth, this petition requires that we walk in God’s way with respect to bread, i.e., not sluggards.
- Four thoughts which describe the manner in which we pray this petition.
- Jesus wants us to be thnking also of the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ: “us” and “our.
- Second, bread is without value if we don’t have God’s blessing.
- Third, Jesus teaches us to be willing to be content if God gives us only daily bread.
- Finally, our only Teacher words this petition so it is very spiritual.