October 29 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 6:9–15

Devotional

The Lord Jesus instructs us how to pray in His perfect prayer. One of the petitions within this prayer deals with our daily needs: “Give us this day our daily bread.” In this little request the Lord includes all matters that we need for this daily life. Our daily bread includes our health, our wants, our cares, and even our hardships, because we all have struggles in this life. The Lord provides for His church, not only so that they can leave this world, but also that they can get through this world. It is such a blessed matter that the Lord has not only thought of salvation but also considers the daily wants of His people. The Lord takes note of our daily material needs. But we are also to understand that all these temporary needs are to be focused on our eternal needs. The material goods are to serve the spiritual goods. That is what the Lord’s perfect prayer shows us.

It is true that we cannot live without our daily needs being provided. We cannot live without a body. Without a body we cannot serve the Lord. We can visit people on their sickbeds that are so bone tired because of their illness that they have no energy for spiritual meditations. One can suffer so much in the body that there is no room for spiritual thoughts. The Lord thought of our physical needs to the extent that our body would be subservient to our soul, as He said: “Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life” (John 6:27). But in order to receive that food for everlasting life, we first need physical life. This petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” is a request to sustain this daily life.

The Lord teaches us to pray: “Give.” What a revealing word! It is a word that teaches us to live by what is given to us. We recognize that we have no rights. In this little word “give” the sinner has to humble himself. He has to see that he has no rights before God. This word “give” is a word that puts us to shame, for we have no rights to receive anything.

The Lord teaches us to pray, “Give us.” It does not say “me” for so often we pray for ourselves. Often we are focused on “me” and “mine.” What patience God must have with a people who so often pray “give me!” In this perfect prayer the Lord Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us.” This shows the need for concern for those around us, for fellow human beings. We must pray for others and even for enemies. The focus on “me” in our prayers must change. Indeed, a compassionate High Priest taught this prayer! Lord, teach us to pray.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.