How We Pray "The LORD’s Prayer"
Week Three
Monday
"Give us this day our daily bread" Matthew 15:32-37
Martin Luther, in the Small Catechism, asks the question, "What does this mean?" He then gives this answer to the question: "God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all people, though sinful, but we ask in this prayer that he will help us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanks." In this petition we turn to our physical needs. Alvin Rogness wrote in his little book, Living In the Kingdom: "I find this prayer the easiest to pray, because I naturally want food and shelter, a happy family, a good government, friends, world peace. All of these, and more, are in the catalog of my wants and needs." This petition focuses on one of life’s crucial issues – our physical needs. Jesus teaches us to pray, with thanks, for our needs daily.
Tuesday
"Give us this day our daily bread" Luke 12:22-34
Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, also asks the Question, "What is meant by daily bread?" He writes:
"Daily bread includes everything needed for this life, such as food and clothing, home and property, work and income, a devoted family, an orderly community, good government, favorable weather, peace and health, a good name, and true friends and neighbors."
It includes, he says, "everything needed for this life." We may worry that it’s wrong to pray for our needs; But Luther assures us that God expects us to pray about our physical needs. "Bread" represents these basic needs. In this one word in the Lord’s Prayer, we include all the combination of things needed for daily Living.
Wednesday
"Give us this day our daily bread" Exodus 16:1-21
Praying this petition recognizes that God is the ultimate provider. It is proper to pray daily for this in faith, in thanksgiving, and in acknowledgement to God for his daily blessings. It is not a selfish,individualistic prayer aimed at accumulation, or the piling up of the material goods of this life. We can be reminded of the Israelites in the wilderness when they were hungry.God provided manna for them; and only enough was provided for the day. If anyone gathered more than they needed, it spoiled.
The lesson for the people of Israel was that God would provide enough for each day. It would be sufficient for their needs. In today’s world of stocks, bonds, IRA’s, Social Security, pension plans, savings, we need to be reminded daily of who is the ultimate provider.
Thursday
"Give us this day . . ."Matthew 6:7-8
Someone has suggested that this phrase has a memory jogging function. The memory it prods is ours; God need not be reminded of our needs. It is intended to awaken us repeatedly to the fact of just how dependent we are on God to supply the truly basic needs we have in our lives. To admit this takes a giant step for most of us. There is a deep-seated arrogance and reluctance in most everyone that makes such an admission extremely hard. We too easily see ourselves as totally self-sufficient. For us to come to God in prayer and ask that God provide for our daily needs requires that we recognize that we are not the masters of our own fate. In a wealthy culture like ours we need to be careful to admit our dependance upon God.
Friday
" . . . our daily bread . . ."Acts 2:46-47
This little word "daily" is one of those words in the New Testament that is difficult to translate into English from the Greek language (the language of the New Testament). The Greek word is translated as"daily" in the Lord’s Prayer—referring to the kind, or regularity, of the bread we are asking God to provide, thereby meaning that it is this day’s needs that we are asking God to take care of. Some scholars say that it also has a future sense—thus it would mean "tomorrow’s" or the "coming future," bread for which we are praying. Regardless of the scholarly debate about this little word, "tomorrow’s," or "today’s" need, it is a clear directive from Jesus to take our concrete, earthly needs to God regularly, and ask God to provide.
Saturday
"our daily bread . . ." James 2:1-7, Matthew 25:31-46
We are reminded that the"bread" we pray for is "ours," not mine or yours alone. It is a plea asking God to provide for all people. God in return is expecting that we will be responsible in the sharing and distribution of "our bread." This remains a problem in the economy of today. We have enough bread in the world to see that all the hungry, who are also praying for it, could be adequately fed. In our human social organizations, and governments, we find all kinds of barriers preventing the generosity of God from reaching the ones for whom it has been given. What this little word,"our," does -- is remind us that we are linked with one another as prayers,receivers, and sharers of God’s gifts. It reminds us that we all pray to "Our Father" for this.