“Give us this day our daily bread...”

- Matthew 6:11

At my church, we have a saying, “all you need, is need.” We say that because we believe that the foundation of faith is dependence on God. Salvation itself begins with acknowledging your need for a Savior.

In the opening lines of teaching us how to pray, Jesus teaches us to recognize our entire dependence on God. As Israel needed daily manna, so we need daily “bread.”

The bread we need is both physical and spiritual. We need the bread of the earth, made by human hands, to nourish us and give us strength, and we need the Bread of Life, the nail-pierced hands of Jesus, to save us and give us hope. Both come directly from God, and both come in full measure. Our God is a lavish and generous Giver. He gives sunshine and shade, showers and rainbows, grace and glory. He gives His Son and His Spirit. All who ask will receive and all that we need for life and godliness He provides. It all comes from God.

Whether we are awake or asleep, whether it is our best day or worse day, God gives with both hands, pressed down and running over.

We cannot buy what we need from God. We certainly do not merit all that we get from God. But we can always count on God to give us “our daily bread”. It's as FB Meyer once said, “God is Love; and Love cannot refrain from giving, or it ceases to be Love.”

Is it your daily habit to ask God to meet your daily needs? And not just your needs, but the needs of others. Notice the first part of our Lord's petition, “... Give us...” When we pray, we are praying for ourselves and others— “Give us...” our Lord says. We ask our Maker to take care of our needs and the needs of others. We confess that we are poor, weak, and needy creatures, and we need our Maker to take care of us, all of us.

Do you have a need today? Do you know someone who has a need today? Take heart, it is your Father's good pleasure to give (Matt. 7:11), and He will surely meet your need.

Your prayer today, “Give me, Lord, both the bread of heaven and earth. Feed my soul Lord and sustain my body. And not just me Lord, but for those near to me. Amen.”

Press on,
Pastor Harp